Twist Of Fate Alternative ending
by MarauderMist99
Summary: this story original comes from the plotline written by Oakstone730 who has very kindly let me write an alternative ending : the original story is called Twist Of Fate read up to chapter 23 for this to make sense : hope you guys enjoy it! disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING all belongs to JK :
1. Whats gone is gone

Chapter 1 (24)

OoOoOOOO (italics are the last few paragraphs of 24 from original Twist of Fate by Oakstone730)

_Harry opened the door when Draco rang the bell the next day. Draco looked at him in surprise, "I thought you were going with Teddy to see the show."_

_Shaking his head, Harry closed the door as Draco came in, "No, Andromeda and your mother took him by themselves. The Cannons sent over the new playbook, I need to get my notes on the changes I want to make to Coach Herr before Christmas."_

_Draco nodded, "Well, I'll just go up to Teddy's room and get started, try to keep out of your way."_

_Harry nodded, "I'll be in the library if you need anything. Kreacher is off today."_

_At Draco's raised eyebrow Harry laughed, "Surely you've heard about the new magical creature legislation that Hermione worked on? Mandatory days off for House Elves."_

_"I heard about it, didn't think that Kreacher would be willing to agree to it."_

_"He isn't willing. He is in his sleeping compartment, sulking and mumbling about interfering, er, Muggleborns." Harry laughed, "But that is better than the hassle I would get from Hermione if I don't make him take it."_

_Harry went down the hall towards the library as Draco went up one more flight to Teddy's room. He sat down in his chair and opened the playbook. The winged players in the drawings flew in the patterns specified and Harry tried to concentrate on the moves and write his critiques. Inevitably his mind was pulled back to whatever Draco was doing and what Hermione had told him the day before. After two hours he gave up and tossed the book back on the desk._

_To give himself an excuse to intrude he fixed two mugs of tea and went up to the second floor. He stopped in the open doorway of Teddy's room. The tall figure of Draco was standing in the middle of the room. He was tapping the handle end of the brush contemplatively against his cheek as he studied the wall. He had taken off the robes he had arrived in and Harry was surprised to see that he was again wearing Muggle clothing, a long sleeve black jumper with charcoal gray jeans. Draco had pushed up the sleeves out of his way and the Dark Mark was clearly visible._

_"I brought you some tea, thought you could use a break." Draco turned to look at Harry as he walked in the room. "This is really good. I can't believe how much progress you've made." The lower half of the wall had been transformed into a tree covered mountainside. The upper half was blue sky with fluffy clouds._

_"I'm almost done with all the background, next I'll paint in the dragons and people and the detail work." Draco said._

_"You really did a great job making it look like Romania," Harry looked at Draco, "Especially since you've never been there."_

_"It's called books, Potter. Travel books have lots of photographs." Draco said, his smile taking the bite out of his words, "I thought of just painting big dragons all over but figured he would outgrow it too soon. And it might have been a little scary for him to sleep in a room with big four feet dragons painted on the walls. This way I can change it and paint in whatever interests him next as he gets older, giants or gnomes or whatever kids like these days. I'm still not sure how to make the dragon cave he wanted though."_

_"Rocks are too heavy even with a permanent lightening charm." Harry walked over to the alcove, "You could make papier mache rocks."_

_"Paper what?" Draco asked._

_"You know, strips of paper with flour glue? Maybe that never made it over to the wizarding world. You could make a form with something like chicken wire into rock shapes and put the strips of paper soaked in the adhesive and when it dries you paint it rock colors. It could be like the entrance to a cave and maybe Andromeda could make curtains to pull it close and he could play inside."_

_"You lost me at the wire chickens. What does poultry have to do with a rock cave?"_

_Harry laughed, "Chicken wire, it is what Muggles use to make cages to keep their chickens from wandering around. Papier mache is a pretty easy technique. The hard part would be making the rock shapes."_

_"It sounds like it could work. I could ask David if he has done it. He went to a Muggle art school so he might be familiar with it already."_

_"Sure, see if he wants to help. I'll get the supplies we'll need from the DIY in time for next weekend." the words were out of Harry's mouth before he could stop them. "That is, if you want my help, too. It is your project."_

_"And it is your house." Draco said with an amused lift of his eyebrow. "Since I've never done it, the more who know what they are doing the better."_

_"Great," Harry paused and took a deep breath, "Hermione told me last night that she and you went through the Manor, before it was burned down."_

_Draco straightened up from where he had stooped to wipe away a stray drop of paint. "What did she tell you?"_

_"Not much, just that she needed to see it again before it was gone."_

_"I think we both did. It helped me to go through it with her." Draco's voice was so quiet that Harry could hardly hear him, "I still have nightmares about seeing you standing there, in the Manor."_

_"You do?"_

_"Yes." Draco turned away, "What brought up that topic?"_

_As Harry told Draco about the delivery from the Ministry Draco looked at him with amazement. "They kept them from you all these years? Can I see the photographs?" Harry nodded and led him from room to room to show him the photographs._

_"And there is more?"_

_"Letters and journals, I haven't read them yet."_

_Draco hesitated, "Aren't you angry? They stole these from you and you only got them back because of Hermione."_

_Harry stood looking at Draco, it took a minute for Draco to realize what he had said. "Bugger, I always manage to mess things up. "_

_Harry shook his head, "No, actually I'm trying to make sense of it, what the difference is between this and us. Because I'm not mad about the photographs and everything being taken from me. I'm grateful to have them back. So, why can't I accept the memories that you want to give me back?"_

_"Because it is me, Draco Malfoy, your enemy for six years." Draco said bitterly._

_Harry shook his head, "I don't think that is it. I never really thought of you as an enemy. You were more like a pain in the side, ever present and unable to be shaken."_

_"I erased two years of your life, deliberately. The Ministry wasn't trying to steal your life, they were just doing what the Ministry does."_

_"Are you deliberately trying to make this sound worse for you?" Harry said with a laugh._

_"No, I just want to make sure that you don't do or say anything that you'll regret later." Draco motioned at the photographs on the mantle. "I don't want you making a leap about how you feel about the Ministry giving back your things to what happened between us. Two weeks ago you about took my head off when I suggested giving back our memories with you using a pensieve."_

_"Your memories, not ours." Harry said automatically and then laughed at himself, "Maybe you're right. I didn't even show you all the other things they sent back. I went from having a single trunk of things to an entire house complete with family memorabilia in a matter of a couple of weeks."_

_"Christmas is just around the corner, why don't you not think about anything and just get ready for having everyone here for Christmas dinner, we can talk about what this all means later. Let's go back upstairs, I have to close up my paints before they dry." As they headed up the stairs Harry looked over at Draco._

"We should head over to the burrow soon, molly will be expecting us" Draco stood up and brushed himself down. He caught Harry looking at him with a half-smile "what?" Harry walked towards Draco, pushed him against the wall and kissed him. Draco's hands found Harry's hair and he ran his fingers through it. "I don't understand" Draco whispered

"well I figured if I can't have those memories back let's make some I can have" Harry smiled and pressed his body against Draco's  
"sounds good to me" and they kissed again.

"no, we should really go now, later" Harry half laughed

"Harry wait, so what just happened are we good?" Harry walked towards Draco and took hold of both of his hands.

"I was talking to Hermione the other day and I told her that if we didn't have all this history that I would just ask you out becuase I like you. Then when we were looking at the photographs I realised that I was being an idiot and the only way to clear things up was to ask you, so I did. Is this ok with you?"

" Harry when I did what I did, I never thought I would ever get to even be your friend again, being able to talk to you recently has just been the best thing ever, and now this, a month ago I could have only dreamed that this could happen and yet here we are, I wouldn't want it any other way."

"So we're good?"

"Yeah we're good" Draco smiled and they hugged each other tightly before walking down the corridor hand in hand.

"What we going to do about the 'family'?" Draco asked, by family he meant the Weasley.

"Let them only wonder for now, come on we are already half an hour late!"

Molly was just cleaning the kitchen when Harry and Draco came through the Floo.

"Molly I'm so sorry have we missed dinner, Draco was helping me clean up and lost track of time"

Molly looked curiously between the two boys who quickly stood a little less close to each other.

"Yes you have, I would say you can have the left overs, but Ron took the dish into the sitting room, I doubt there's anything left. Well you might as well make yourselves useful and tidy round the kitchen for me." Molly smiled and chucked Harry a cloth and Draco a broom. "Trust me, this is a light punishment for missing dinner" Molly patted Harry on the cheek and went upstairs.

"What are we waiting for; this is going to be a fun evening!" Draco started to sweep the kitchen floor

"Well, it seems as though everyone else is elsewhere, so it won't be completely dull" Harry smiled and raised one eyebrow which made Draco laugh and shake his head.

To make things more interesting they had made a game as to whenever they passed each other to try and hit each other's arse. Draco was winning 2 to 1. They were just about to go for it again when Ron came in with a large glass dish. Harry and Draco quickly tried to stop laughing and Harry shuffled back to the sink.

"Hey Harry, how come you weren't at dinner?" Ron asked as he handed Harry the dish to wash up

"Oh I was helping Draco clear up at Grimmauld place"

Ron being slightly dense and unsuspecting of the flawed story shrugged "I'm going to play Quidditch with George and Ginny, you coming?"

"Yeah give me ten minutes" Ron walked out the kitchen and Draco turned to Harry

"You're lucky that wasn't Hermione she would have seen right through your awful lying!"

"I'm not an awful liar!" Harry said loudly

"No 'course not, everyone looks at the floor and goes bright red when they're telling the truth" Draco laughed

"Shut up!" Harry flicked soapy water at Draco who laughed and smacked Harrys arse.

"3-1. I win"

please review guys, i've only bad so far so ive gone through and checked EVERYTHING

:D


	2. Blame it on the alcohol

-Chapter 26 (2) 

The day after Harry and Draco had kissed was quiet. Draco had had to go to the centre so Harry spent most of the day wondering the moors at his cottage in Devon. He was trying to work out a way he could make this work, he liked Draco and wanted to like him as a new person but all the emotions of what he had done came swarming back to Harry every time he thought he had something worked out. Harry cursed and sent a Reducto to a nearby tree. He then broke into a run to prevent himself from losing control. This continued for an hour or so until he found himself outside the gate that led up to his cottage. Looking down at himself he realised he was covered in sweat but had been so muddled and angry to care. He stormed inside and took a shower. When he had cleaned up and put fresh clothes on he realised it was nearly 6:30 and that Draco would have been back about half an hour ago. In a mad rush he made his way to the apparation point and disapperated to Grimmauld Place. Harry practically fell into the lounge to find Andromeda, Draco and Teddy sat around the room in quiet conversation.

"Hello Harry how are you?" Andromeda asked politely and smiled

"I'm fine thanks how are you?" Harry looked across at Draco who gave him a concerned glare, Harry just smiled subtly at him.

"I'm fine thank you dear, do you want some tea?"

"Yes please, if you wouldn't mind" Harry smiled warmly at the witch

"Not at all, come on Teddy, you can help" Draco waited until Andromeda and Teddy were out the room before he spoke.

"Where the hell have you been, it has been nearly two hours! I thought the mob had got you because you told me you weren't going anywhere today, but when I got here-"Draco didn't finish his sentence because Harry kissed him, pulling him close.

"I went to the cottage, I just needed some air"

"Well you could have at least come back on time so I didn't think you were dead!"

Harry smiled "you go all high pitched and squeaky when you're worried"

Draco frowned "I'm being serious"

"So am I!" Harry laughed and looked up at Draco who was frowning and had his arms folded. Harry pulled Draco towards him and kissed him. Harry nipped Draco's bottom lip and sat up as Andromeda brought in a steaming pot of tea.

"Here we go" Andromeda set the pot down and handed Harry a cup.

"Thank you" Harry took it and sat back on the sofa.

"Well it's getting late, so I'm going to get Teddy to sleep if you will excuse us" Andromeda scooped Teddy up and disappeared down the corridor. Draco shuffled up to Harry who curled up in Draco's arms.

"Ok at least next time can you tell me when you are going to go gallivanting off? Please." Draco voice was soft as he whispered to Harry, stroking his hair.

"Ok, I promise, I didn't mean to scare you, I was just muddling over everything"

"What do you mean?" Draco looked down at Harry who sat up and sat cross-legged on the chair.

"All the stuff like how we are going to work and how we can tell everyone and how we are going to deal with the reporters because I don't want another repeat of what happened to you mother, Andromeda and Teddy. I don't know what we are going to do."

"well, let's just get Christmas sorted and out the way then we will think about how we are going to tell everyone" Draco hugged Harry tightly "I've got to get back to the centre but I will come by tomorrow ok?" Harry nodded "oh and Harry? please try not to get yourself killed"

"I'll try." Harry smiled and watched Draco as he disappeared through the Floo.

"You two seem to be getting along better now" Harry turned to see Andromeda folding up clean bed sheets. He blushed and shrugged. Andromeda laughed quietly "don't worry, I won't tell a soul" She kissed harry on the top of his head, picked up the basket of linin and swiftly moved down the corridor. Harry smiled and disapperated up to his room, still worried about what the future for them would hold.

The next day Harry went upstairs to find the blonde and found him in Teddy's room painting the sky of the mural onto the ceiling. Harry stood and watched him until Draco noticed he was stood there.

"Hey, you alright?" Draco asked as he placed the brush back in the pot. Harry looked at Draco who has blue drops of paint all over his face and started laughing. "What? Why are you laughing? Harry!"

"Your face" Harry laughed "is covered in paint"

"What? Where?" Draco crossed his eyes to look at his nose

"Everywhere! Come here" Harry led Draco to the bathroom and handed him a clump of loo roll, placing him in front of the mirror.

"Oh" Draco spoke "right, there" He took the loo roll and tried scrubbing it off his face. Harry stood behind him and wrapped his arms around Draco's face

"You look like a smurf" Harry chuckled

"A what?" Draco looked at Harry's face in the mirror

"A, well it's a, dwarf well no not a, well, oh don't worry, just look like a blue person" Harry smiled and kissed Draco's neck. Draco wiped the paint covered tissue on Harry's face leaving a blue smear; Harry laughed and chased Draco back to Teddy's room. They both grabbed a paint brush and started attacking each other with them, chasing one another down the halls wiping paint across faces, clothes, arms and legs. Draco ran down to the end of the corridor "no way out now Malfoy" Harry strolled down the corridor

"Oh this just got personal Potter!" Draco ran at Harry, Harry at Draco. They ended up in a pile on the floor laughing and both covered head to toe in blue paint. It was a while before they stopped laughing and found the strength to sit up. Draco stood and held out a hand to Harry who pulled himself up. They stood and looked down the splattered corridor and burst out laughing,

"Right, so" Harry said quietly

"Don't think we've ever made this much mess" Draco was still smiling and holding the paintbrush in his folded arms.

"we should clean it up before Andromeda gets back from the centre" as soon as Harry had finished his sentence the sound of a key tuning in the lock and footsteps down the hall made them stare at each other wide-eyed. Before either of them could react Andromeda came round the corner and stopped in shock looking at the ruined walls and the two men stood at the end of the corridor, they too, covered in paint

"What on earth happened here?" Andromeda spoke nearly in a whisper "I know you two haven't been able to have much freedom alone together for a while but really? Did it have to go to such an extent that the house suffered?" Harry could have sworn he saw molly Weasley stood there for a second.

"Sorry" Harry and Draco said in sync.

"Well I advise you start cleaning now, without magic. Maybe that will teach you. This is as much where Teddy and I live as where you two do" Neither of them had seen Andromeda cross like this but they both handed over their wands and fetched cleaning equipment from the kitchen. They started at the far end of the corridor and cleaned in silence until Harry spoke. "I don't remember ever having this much fun with you" he turned and half smiled at Draco who laughed subtly.

"No, neither do I." Draco smiled at Harry who laughed

"There is paint literally everywhere!" Harry chuckled as he glanced up and down the corridor.

"It's nice just to be able to be ourselves and do stuff like this together without worrying what our friends might say" Draco spoke softly as he wrung out a cloth.

"Yeah it really is" Harry replied

"Come on let's get this finished and then go get cleaned up"

After an hour or so Harry and Draco emerged from cleaning the walls and sat down at the breakfast bar in the kitchen opposite Teddy who was anxiously waiting for the roast dinner Andromeda had helped Kreacher prepare.

"So Teddy, what would you like for Christmas?" Draco asked eagerly.

"Erm, I want a dragon to live on the roof and a forest as well to go flying in!" Teddy shouted gleefully

"Well, I don't know if a dragon would fit on the roof, have you got any other things you might want? Christmas is only ten days away"

"I want a cave!" Teddy squealed

"A cave!" Draco repeated excitedly "and where would we put that Ted?"

"On the ROOF WITH THE DRAGON!" Teddy's eyes had lit up in his fantasy world of dragons on the top of buildings. Draco was laughing joyfully with him, eager to hear the rest.

Harry watched Draco as he interacted with the young boy across the table. He noticed how his face changed depending on what Teddy told him, how his eyes seemed to know so much, looked so alive, but yet so sad. Draco turned to look at Harry and smiled, dimples appearing on his cheeks. "Things will get better" Draco whispered "I promise" Harry smiled back at him. As he was just about to lean towards Draco Andromeda placed two plates in front of them.

"This looks wonderful, thank you" Draco said quickly, Harry nodded along. The older woman smiled and looked between them before focussing her attention to Teddy who was making dragon shapes with his mash potato.

OOoOOoo

Everyone was sat round the coffee table at the Burrow waiting to pick from the Secret Santa. Draco and Harry sat opposite sides from each other as for all everyone else knew, they were still only on civil terms.

"Right, here we go" Molly bustled about with the bag containing everyone's name "Youngest first so Teddy, Andromeda dear I've put you and Teddy together so he doesn't get left out, I hope that's ok?"

"Yes that's perfectly alright, goon then Teddy pick a name" Teddy reached down into the bag and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Andromeda who looked at it and slipped it into her pocket, her face unrevealing as to whose name she had picked.

"Ginny, you're next" Molly shuffled along the side of the coffee table and held the bag out took Ginny who stuck her hand in and pulled out a piece of paper, she laughed and put it in her coat pocket. Molly moved round the table as everyone picked out a name. There were mixed reactions to the names and when everyone had picked one, The red haired mother pulled out the last one and smiled. "Well that's that! First rule; I'm not swapping anyone's around, you get it how you get it so deal with it" molly smiled then clapped her hands together twice. "Right, everyone to the kitchen, dinner is served"

OOOOooOOoO

"I think we need to be more careful" Harry said cautiously to Draco as they sat in the living room at Grimmauld place later that evening.

"What do you mean?" Draco cocked his head slightly

"I mean, if we don't stop eye fucking each other and almost holding hands people are gunna notice"

Draco laughed and shook his head "I'm sure no-one has noticed yet"

"Hermione has and I think Molly and Andromeda suspect something. Today at the Secret Santa I bet you someone saw us when everyone was picking names" Draco smiled and moved over to sit next to Harry, pulling him close.

"Trust me, they haven't, you're just paranoid. We can tell them when you are ready, okay?"

"Okay" Harry sighed and looked up at Draco who kissed him softly.

OOoooOo

Christmas approached rapidly and Diagon Alley was heaving with the mad rush for last minute shopping. Harry had got Ginny in the secret Santa and had bought her a new Quiditch set including gloves, goggles, quaffle, bludgers, beaters and a snitch. He wanted to spend some more time with her as they were on good terms now and he felt he owed her that much. He had also worked out some of the other Santa's. Draco had told him he had got Luna and between them they had worked our that Ron had Harry and Neville had Hermione as they were both asking unusual questions that made it incredibly obvious. They had discussed this with Andromeda while decorating Grimmauld place, she had told them that her and Teddy had Narcissa but she knew of no-one else.

They had decorated the house in vibrant colours. A tall deep green fir tree stood in the lounge and Harry, Draco and Teddy had decorated one side and Andromeda the other. The boys' side was draping in tinsel and clumps of decorations making the tree barely visible, while Andromeda's was elegantly balanced and not boringly plain. When they had finished the tree they stopped for a break before decorating the rest of the house. After a mug of hot chocolate and a piece of fruit cake Andromeda had made they started on the rest of the house; kitchen first. There wasn't really much they could do with it because as soon as they had decorated part of it Kreacher would come along and take it all down again. So they settled for a string of red berries over the window and a reef in the middle of the table. The hallways were lined with holly and ivy draped over the pictures and portraits and a small Christmas tree at the end of each corridor. Teddy's room was full of dragons with Christmas hats on; Draco had cleverly persuaded him not to put anything onto the walls before Christmas as he was worried the charms covering the mural might be revealed. Andromeda wanted to do her room herself but agreed to have Teddy in there as Draco said he needed to get back to the centre and left through the front door. Harry was up in his room sorting out decorations when he heard a crack and Draco apparated in front of him.

"I forgot I took the guards down so you could apparate" he said with a smile "I thought you had to be at the centre?"

"Nope, just told Andromeda that so she wouldn't wonder why I was helping you decorate your room" Draco wrapped his arms round Harry's waist.

Harry laughed quietly "I suppose we have a couple of hours to ourselves then, you do know she suspects we are back together" he flicked his wand and the door locked.

"What? How?" Draco said alarmed.

"After you were so worried why I was late back the other day and the fact that we were sat really close to each other on the sofa"

Draco laughed "let her suspect, it's more exciting that way" he pushed Harry against the wall and kissed him.

"Shit!" Draco almost shouted and sat up, waking Harry who reached for his glasses.

"What?" Harry said half asleep

"Its 8 o' clock in the morning, I was supposed to be at the centre this morning, I was supposed to be home last night"

Harry laughed "that won't be a shock for your mum 'hi mum' 'where were you last night I was worried sick' 'ah don't worry I was at Grimmauld place fucking Harry Potter'" Harry laughed even more and Draco hit him over the head with a pillow

"shut-up!" it then turned into a fully fledged pillow fight.

"Harry?" they both froze and fell silent at the voice at the door, it was Andromeda "are you ok? You didn't come down for supper yesterday I assumed you were tired and went to sleep"

"You did far from sleep" Draco whispered in Harry's ear

"shut-it!" he whispered back and pushed Draco back down on the bed and sat on him "yeah im fine, felt a bit ill but I will be down in half an hour"

"Ok well breakfast is ready, are you sure you're okay you sound exhausted" the kind witch asked.

"oh he he is!" Draco said again laughing uncontrollably, Harry pushed him off the other side of the bed.

"okay, well I will see you down in a bit" They listened as Andromeda's footsteps disappeared down the corridor. Harry lay on the bed, hanging his head over the edge and looked at Draco who was still laughing.

"it's not funny, what happened if I hadn't locked the door and she had come in when we were having a pillow fight or last night even!" Harry squeaked

"She would have got an eyeful then!" Draco laughed and really wasn't taking it seriously Harry pushed him playfully and sat on his chest

"I hate you sometimes"

"I know" Draco pulled Harry towards him and pulled the bed-sheet over the top of them.

"you" Harry said poking the blonde's chest "need to go to work" he said as he looked at the beaming Draco in front of him "and I need to have breakfast" Harry pulled him up and shoved him into the bathroom "you need a shower then you need to go to work, I will see you later" Draco's face had changed and he wondered if Harry was really cross with him until Harry turned his head and winked at him before changing and going down for breakfast.

Harry emerged in the kitchen and was nearly knocked by Teddy who was shouting "its Chris'mas eve tomorrow, Chris'mas eve tomorrow! Harry I'm getting a Dragon!"

"I know Teddy! Are you excited?" Harry said as gleefully as Teddy

"yesyesyes!" Teddy said as one slurred word.

"Teddy why don't you go upstairs and get changed so we can go to the park?" Andromeda suggested. Teddy didn't need to be asked twice, his hair changed colour multiple times and he ran out of the kitchen and up to his room. "How are you feeling this morning?" Andromeda said to Harry "I was a bit worried when you didn't come down for supper but I assumed you had good reason so left you to your own devices"

"Yeah I'm feeling ok now, thank you"

"Breakfast?" Andromeda held up the wooden spoon she was using to stir beans. Harry nodded "well, I leave you with that I better go see how Teddy's doing, I might get him to get those earmuffs its quite cold outside although they're not very _soundproof_" Harry's eyes widened and he dropped the spoon, he had forgotten about soundproofing spells. Then he went bright red. "That's going to be awkward next time I see her" he said under his breath, and slowly carried on with his breakfast moving it around with his spoon and in much lower spirits than beforehand.

Harry had bought Draco a present anyway and was going to give it to him when they weren't going to have any interruptions. He had been into a posh shop in muggle London and had bought him a pair of dark green leather driving gloves and a matching green woollen scarf. He wrapped it up in red tissue paper with a silver ribbon and hid it under his bed. Ginny's was slightly more difficult to wrap. He decided that he would just arrange everything nicely in a box and wrap the box up so not to give anything away. He had written to Charlie to inquire about a present for Teddy and Charlie had sent him a fully sized dragon tooth in a massive jar. He had also sent a selection of dragon scales in a frame with labels saying what dragon each was from. However there was another package at the bottom of the box, a small parcel, wrapped up with Harry's name on the tag and a message that read.

_Dear Harry,_

_I don't know if you took my advice or whether you just ignored me like you do a lot of the time (even though im usually right!) I could rant now about why you should and where the self pity was taking you but I think we got that covered. I take it you've stopped blowing things up as you haven't come back as yet! I know that you will want to be with your friends now if you have come to terms with everything, but if you ever want to come back to Romania for good I will be there. what we had was good and if you have gone and done what I told you to then I guess you not gunna want to come to Romania but I knew that so yeah, im rambling now, and I bet your laughing cus I just wrote that, and this, and that I just wrote this __and that__, I'll stop now. But yeah I will see you at Christmas, I hope you like the present, got it made over here._

_See ya_

_Love_

_Charlie_

_p.s if you did what I told you, you might wanna hide this letter. X_

Harry put the letter on the floor next to him and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. He and Charlie had indeed seen each other while Harry was in Romania and Charlie had helped Harry in so many ways. He taught him how to control his wild magic and concentrate it on being able to doing small amounts of wandless magic like accio and levitating spells. Charlie had got it into his head that this self pity wasn't taking him anywhere and asked him if he had just met Draco would he ask him out to which Harry had said yes, so told him to do just that and after Hermione had had this conversation with him too, that's what Harry had decided to do. Then because everything got so hectic Harry forgot to write to Charlie to tell him, and when he wrote about Teddy he didn't mention it, which probably gave Charlie the wrong impression.

Harry took the package and opened it. Inside was a dragon skin book that was leather bound on the spine and gold letters wrote 'When you wrestle a dragon' the front said this too and at the bottom it read 'good times with a good friend'. Harry opened it and a message read on the first page:

_this may sound a bit creepy but when you were in Romania I got a friend to take pictures of everything you did, we did (not everything everything...), the camp, the places, cus I knew you wouldn't stay forever and wanted to give you something to take a way with you._

Harry turned another page and saw a picture of the camp in Romania with a dragon flying in the background. The next page showed Harry a picture of him, Charlie and the whole wrangler team trying to hold back a Swedish Shortsnout from escaping as it broke out of its enclosure. Harry continued to flick through the pages, pictures of everywhere in the camp, all the dragons with their names written below and next to the Hungarian horntail was a picture of Harry's chest after she attacked him and a comment that read 'that was gross, that was!' which made Harry laugh. He got to the last page which was a picture of him and Charlie sat on one of the benches in the camp laughing and talking, this was taken just before Harry had decided to come home. He closed the book and traced the spine with his finger before putting it safe into his bedside draw. He took Teddy's presents down and put them under the tree where he could get excited about them for the next two days. He realised that Draco would have nearly finished his shift so grabbed his jacket and apparated to the centre.

He walked up the steps which were slippery with ice and slushy snow and had to grab onto the hand rail twice to save himself from falling over. When he got inside he brushed the snow off his shoulder's and walked down to the children's ward where he knew Draco would be today. As he walked down the corridor he heard vicious whispering around him so started to walk a little faster, they continued. He turned a corner and immediately regretted it; about 10 photographers and multiple journalists turned and stared at him. There was a moment of silence before they all charged at him and surround him, asking questions, taking photos. Most of the questions consist of 'do you feel hatred for Draco Malfoy' 'how do you feel about be robbed of your life' 'is it true you have threatened to kill him' 'are you back together with him' 'did you have sex in a supplies cupboard here at the centre' 'is he sexually harassing you' to which harry answered 'no, no comment, no, no, what? And no!' all of a sudden there was a figure pushing through the crowd, it was healer McCain

"Come with me Harry, come on" she grabbed his arm and started to heave him out of the crowd. When they had reached her office he sat down on one of the chairs. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, im fine, I don't understand what is so fascinating about me!"

"They just pick on people that have had a lot going on in their lives and you have a story like you do a top selling news, don't ask me why"

"I don't want to be top selling news! I want to be a normal bloke with a normal partner!" Harry realised when McCain did about what he just said.

"By partner, you mean, Draco" Harry nodded reluctantly "so you've put your issues aside?" Harry nodded again "ah that's wonderful! Congratulations" Harry forced a smile "now can I just check your memory fabric, you were supposed to be coming back soon anyway, and did you know that?" Harry shook his head. He had stopped speaking now. She drew up the blue ring around Harry's head and studied it. "Wow, that looks a lot better, it's not as fragile anymore, which is good" she moved away and the ring dropped. Then there was a knock on the door "I'll get that" she walked over to the door and opened it. A voice said "do you know where Harry is I just heard there was a mob of reporters" Harry recognised it at once, it was Draco. He stood up "Harry!" Draco speed into the room and flung his arms around him. McCain shut the door and went back to her desk. "Oh my god, are you ok?" Draco was completely oblivious that McCain was in the room.

"Yeah, im fine"

"Why are you here?"

"I was just coming to look for you to see if you wanted to go into muggle London"

Draco caught McCain's eye and the penny dropped "err Harry" he whispered "McCain is right behind you"

"I know, she knows, we can trust her" Draco let out a deep breath

"Phew, ok well yeah that sounds good, let's wait for them to leave first" that when he noticed. Draco noticed the photographer perched on the windowsill outside McCain's office. He had his wand out in a flash and was shouting curses. McCain stood up then flooed the head of security to get some men up to her office and to destroy all photographers' cameras

"Shit shit shit shit" Draco was pacing up and down like a dog

"Fuck, we screwed up big this time, I was so careful out there not to let anything slip!"

"don't worry security are destroying all cameras, anyway just in case I'd tell your friends and family, its best for them to hear it from you, though I suspect if any cameras get out they will guard it like hell till after Christmas, they'll sell more that way. They waited half an hour for any news. Then a big guard stepped into the office, "we have destroyed all cameras in the building ma'am"

"And outside?"

"We weren't aware any were outside ma'am, I apologise."

"Come on, we have to get you out of here" Draco urged to Harry

"Me! What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, im just the Deatheater they hate me enough already" Draco said as they disappeared down the floo. They landed in muggle London and began walking down towards Covent Garden.

"That's gunna come out well" Harry murmured and they both laughed

"Well at least we're only hugging and talking and not snogging the face of each other!" Draco almost shouted.

"Yeah, ok from now on no kissing in public. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Draco replied. They decided to go into a small Italian restaurant. "I'll pay"

"No, I'm taking, you out, so im paying. Besides you don't have any muggle money" Harry persisted

"Fair, thank you" Draco said and pecked Harry on the cheek

"Oi, what about the in public thing!" he smiled

"It was a peck!" Draco looked at Harry his face stern. "Alright" Draco raised his hands in surrender.

After dinner they walked along the river arms linked, passing people who didn't look at them twice. They past two or three gay couples who greeted them "that's one thing; gays are accepted more in muggle communities than wizarding ones, don't you think?" Draco asked

"Defiantly we've passed what a hundred people who don't seem to care or just see it as normal, which is nice"

"Yeah nice" Draco said and smiled, they stopped. "You see now would be the time that I kissed you, but your stupid agree-"Harry leant up and kissed Draco, their tongues entwined.

"Who cares what they think" Harry whispered "lets change it to in wizarding areas"

"Okay" Draco said back and kissed him again. Luckily it was getting dark and their faces were covered by their coats because a group of five wizards, in full robes, obviously tourists walked past with a camera and completely ignored them. "Let's go back" they walked hand in hand back towards Covent Garden and apparated to Grimmauld Place. Draco ran his fingers through Harry's hair then dissapparated.

"Did you have a nice time?" Andromeda's voice startled him and he spun around, his hand reaching for his wand. He relaxed.

"It was great thanks" Harry hesitated

"Don't worry no-one else knows" she laughed lightly

Harry smiled "he is great isn't he" he hung his coat on the stand and followed Andromeda into the kitchen.

"He is charming, he's handsome too" Harry blushed "don't let anything get in the way of that. You two being back together, proves you were meant to be together, always, so hold on to that and him, tightly" she smiled and gripped Harry's shoulder "goodnight, im off to bed"

"Night" Harry walked slowly up the stairs smiling to himself and thinking about how perfect the evening was, if only the day had been too. Harry shrugged 'dinner made up for it' he thought to himself as he turned out the light.

Harry was woken to the noise of a metal saucepan colliding with a metal spoon over and over. He opened his eyes and saw Teddy was the culprit of the banging. "Hello Teddy" Harry sighed "you are so like your dad" Teddy laughed.

"its Chrissmaaas eeevve todaaay!" Teddy sung loudly while keeping an untimely beat on his saucepan.

"I know Teddy" Harry murmured before rolling over and pulling a pillow over his head. Harry finally got up about an hour later and couldn't be bothered to get changed so went downstairs in his pjama bottoms and nothing on his top-half.

"Good morning, finally decided to get up have us? I was just about to send Teddy off again" Andromeda smiled warmly

"Ugh, what time is it?"

"Eleven forty five"

"What? I was supposed to-"

"meet Draco, yeah he stopped by to see if everything was okay, I told him you were asleep and he would see you later, oh and he left this for you" Andromeda handed him an envelope. Harry opened it curiously and laughed

"What's in there?"

"Two tickets to Les Misérables" Harry shook his head "I was telling him about muggle theatre and the waiter said this was the best one to go and see"

"That'll be nice, when is it?"

"Tonight" Harry made himself two pieces of toast and went back upstairs to get changed.

He spent most of the day helping Andromeda tidy round the house and helping Narcissa take her things upstairs as she was going to be staying for Christmas and New Year. Draco came at four as they were going to the 5 o' clock showing.

They walked down Cambridge Circus in London down to The Palace Theatre. Harry took out the tickets and the man on the door ripped off the end and handed them back to Harry "souvenirs" Harry said excitedly

"How excited are you?" Draco asked

"Very, the theatre always looked so amazing but I never got to go as a kid apart from the one time I went with Mrs. Fig when the Dursleys were on holiday."

"Cool, what did you see?"

"Phantom of the opera, I didn't really get it then, but it was incredible"

They sat down in the front row of the upper circle, right in the middle

"Wow, you got amazing seats, where did you find them?"

"A man in the centre works in the muggle theatre business and got them for me this morning"

"That's amazing, look it's starting" the curtains lifted and two rows of convicts knelt on the stage and deep music started "it's about the French muggle revolution, these are prisoners, usually imprisoned for small crimes for a long time" Harry whispered and Draco nodded understandably. As it went on Draco accidently asked question like 'why doesn't he use a stupefy' then realising they're muggles and going 'oh yeah'

Act one finished with 'One Day More' and the curtain closed. Draco stood up.

"That was good, ended a bit strange though, and is there a sequel?" Harry pulled him back down into his seat

"No, this is only half way through, there's a break then the rest"

"Oh" Draco said, sitting back down "it's really good, I love the plot line"

"So do I" Harry replied "the set is amazing, you would have though they used magic to get it to move so incredibly"

Draco started to speak then stopped "what?" Harry said

"Don't worry"

"No, tell me"

"I was just going to say Valjean reminds me of Sirius"

"Yeah" Harry said quietly

"See; look now I make you all sad!"

"No I'm fine, he is and that's good because Valjean is a good man" before anymore could be said the curtain opened again. By the time 'a little fall of rain had finished' and Epoinine had died, Draco was crying as was Harry, they both looked at each other and laughed quietly.

Then when Valjean sang 'bring him home' Draco whispered to Harry "why is this so sad?"

"Its happy really, just keep watching"

By the end of the performance everyone in the audience was crying including Harry and Draco. The cast were singing the reprise of 'do you hear the people sing' and on the last note everyone stood up and cheered, the theatre was full of the sound of applause.

"Wow" Draco said as he was coming out the theatre "that was incredible"

"Wasn't it!" Harry cheered

"Come on we are going clubbing" Draco grabbed Harry's hand and started running

"What? Draco!" Draco just laughed. They went into a night club and had a few drinks then someone made a remark that gay guys couldn't drink proper so Harry and Draco got in a vodka shot drinking contest and were completely wasted at about two in the morning. Then came the dancing, the making out and the hysterical laughter.

They knocked on the door at Grimmauld place and Andromeda and Narcissa opened it "hello!" Harry shouted "I'm Santa Claus!" this caused Draco to laugh hysterically again.

"Good evening ladies would you care for some tea?" Draco shouted

Then Harry started singing his own version of 'do you hear the people sing'

They were so loud and lary, talking to each other like they would across a bar.

"There's nothing to do but lock them in a room and put a silence charm around it" Narcissa nodded in agreement to Andromeda and they guided them up to Harry's room and locked them in.

"He is in so much trouble" Narcissa said firmly

"I suppose they've got to do it once, still I will be talking to Harry about this tomorrow"

Meanwhile upstairs Harry and Draco were already topless and making out in the empty bathtub.

The next morning they heard a loud knocking on the door " good morning" a cheery voice shouted through the wood "come on, downstairs, its Christmas day"

"ughhhhh" was all that came from Harry

"Why am I handcuffed to your bed?" Draco murmured

"What? I don't know, I'm more worried about the alligator in my bath"

"What? Harry at least gets me a sheet or something, im cold, then finds the key" Draco was practically shivering

"Your clothes are outside"

"How? How am I supposed to get dressed?"

"From the spare clothes you keep in my wardrobe, mine are on the telegraph pole"

"My head hurts so much"

"That my friend is a hangover and I'm blaming you" Harry said

"ugh what happened last night! Have you not got one?"

"Yes and I feel like im gunna pass out but im not gunna let it spoil Teddy's Christmas"

"Okay okay, neither am I but you got to uncuff me first"

"Right err yeah" Harry muttered "that's one thing I do remember"

"What?" Draco answered abruptly

"I swallowed the key"

"Great so I'm stuck here both hands handcuffed above me stark naked"

"Usually that would turn me on, but uhuh not with this headache" Harry took out his wand and unlocked the handcuffs. Draco rubbed his wrists and they both got dressed and made their way downstairs.

"Merry Christmas!" Andromeda and Narcissa said in synch both with menacing smiles on their faces. Andromeda took out a camera and took a picture of where the both of them stood "that'll be nice to show to you tomorrow"

She put the camera down and handed them two mugs of tea. Draco took one sip and ran straight for the bathroom. Harry turned out to be a drunk who didn't throw up.

Draco returned and sat next to Harry on the sofa who had perked up slightly.

Teddy ran about giving everyone their presents and then sat down in front of his.

"Can I open them now? Can I?" he pleaded

"Hang on one more minute I'll just go get some more tea" Andromeda smiled

"No, I'll go. Come on Draco" Harry offered and dragged Draco into the kitchen and started whispering furiously at him "what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What, what do you mean?" Draco said his eyes almost closed

"I don't know what you drank last night, but it was a hell of a lot more than me or you're just over doing it"

"Whoa, stop shouting" Draco raised his hands up in surrender

"Draco, im whispering!" Harry took a saucepan and filled it with cold water then through it at Draco's head

"Whatcha do that for Harry!"

"To knock some sense into you! Now come on! Let's make this nice, remember first Christmas since 5th year, let's make it good ey?" Harry dried Draco and the floor with a spell and they went back into the lounge with a full teapot.

"Ok Teddy, off you go" Teddy lurched at the box from Harry and Andromeda gave Harry a look of gratitude. Teddy ripped off the paper and said

"It's just a box"

"Open the box Ted" Andromeda laughed. Teddy cautiously opened it and pulled out the jar "whoa! A dragon tooth!" Teddy's eyes lit up and her ran across the room and hugged Harry tightly. The tooth, when Teddy stood next to it was just below his shoulder. Teddy wandered back over and took out the frame "wow, look nanny, from every dragon in the whole world!"

"That's marvellous! Where on earth did you find those Harry?" Andromeda asked curiously.

"I wrote to Charlie and asked him if he could think of anything and he sent me those" Draco was listening now.

"Did he not charge you? They must be quite hard to collect"

"No, we were really close when I was over there, he helped me through a lot, and I think he'll be at the burrow today"

"That's really kind of him I'll thank him later"

They opened the rest of the presents that were there and then Draco caught Teddy's attention. "You've got one more present Teddy, come on, it's upstairs"

They all followed Draco and Teddy up the stairs excitedly. Draco led them into Teddy's room. Andromeda, Harry and Narcissa stood in the doorway.

"This is my room?" Teddy said, puzzled.

"I know, just close your eyes and don't move until I say ok?" Teddy nodded.

Draco revealed the mural. "Okay, you can open your eyes". The walls were painted as if they were in Romania. Dragons soared in the blue skies; wranglers wrestled them back into their caves. On the left wall was the camp, with fires and tents and Harry and Charlie sat round a campfire among lots of other wranglers. Teddy hadn't said anything yet. "Do you like it?" Draco asked

"That's so cool!" Draco let out a sigh of relief and began showing him all the different aspects.

They decided to go back down for a big breakfast; Draco and Harry hung back a bit. "What did you mean by close friends?" Draco asked almost sharply

"Just that, we were friends, I was messed up so he told me how not to get killed" Harry began to walk down the corridor but Draco grabbed his arm

"I just need to know, were you...?"

"Yes, okay? We were together, but at that point you weren't in the equation, you were so far from the equation you were in the history department not the maths!"

"Okay, one that comparison was dreadful, and two I don't mind if you were with him if it helped I just thought you would have told me that's all."

"I'm sorry, I thought you knew enough about my life, and anyway when I did tell you, you took it all away from me so what was I to know you weren't to do it again!"

Draco said nothing, he just stared in shock at what harry just said.

"Oh my god Draco I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't even bother" Draco stormed down the corridor and broke into a run. Harry knew he was crying. He lent against the wall and slid to the floor. He didn't know why he hadn't told Draco, it hadn't come up, there wasn't an opportunity, was there? Harry thought about it for a while, sat with his head in his hands, lifting it only when he heard footsteps and Narcissa appeared.

"Harry? Are you ok? We heard the shouting." She knelt down next to him. Harry assumed she knew about them too.

"I-I said something really stupid and nasty and, ugh, fuck my life. Why am I so, I need to talk to him" he went to get up but Narcissa stopped him.

"Let me, I'll get more sense out of him" she stood up and walked down the corridor towards her room as she knew he would be there. She paused and knocked gently "Draco?"

"Go away" came a voice from inside

Narcissa opened the door and closed it behind her. Draco was sat in the corner of the room, knees up, arms folded across them and resting his head on top.

"Sweetheart, are you ok?"

"No not really, he-he said that he didn't tell me about him and Charlie because he couldn't trust me not to obliviate him of it" Draco looked up "how could he say that? After everything? He goes and says that!" Draco was sobbing uncontrollably now.

"Draco, im sure it wasn't true, lots of things are said in fights most of which aren't true they're just quick unconsidered thoughts that just spill out in a ramble of words. Come here" she sat next to him and hugged him tight "I think you should talk to him, he regrets it and wants to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to him, im sorry but I don't. He knows how I feel about what I did. He knows!"

"Yeah he does but he wasn't thinking, no-one does when they're angry. Why would it be a problem if he didn't tell you about Charlie anyway, maybe he was just trying to protect you"

"Protect me! From what?"

"From yourself. Maybe he thought that if you knew about them then you might think there was no chance for you two and he might have thought you would have thought he didn't care and had moved on, I think he was trying to save you pain as you've only ever been with each other and because of Ginny he didn't want you to get anymore hurt than your already were."

Draco shrugged "why did it have to be us that had the shit life, even after the war it was shit but why couldn't we just be together? Like normal people, like last night?"

"I think that having the life you've had has made you both stronger and much closer together. I think you should talk to him" Draco nodded

"Fine" he stood up and walked out and back down the corridor.

Harry heard someone coming and looked up to see Draco. He stood up fast "Draco I'm so sorry, you know I didn't mean that!"

"No I don't, I thought I knew you inside out Harry, was that true really, deep down was that true what you said?"

"no, no it wasn't, I promise you, I just didn't want you to think I didn't care about you that I had just moved on, cus I didn't, even when I didn't remember you I used to watch you walk on the marauders map at night and not know why, I don't think I ever really stopped loving you, please just hear me out"

"Okay. I believe you because I know; you would never lie to me. I'm sorry too about being so suspicious" Draco walked towards Harry and hugged him

"I am so sorry, I didn't know what I as saying" Harry whispered

"I know. One more question. How far did you go?"

"Let's go have breakfast" harry said briskly dragging Draco down the corridor who just laughed quietly to himself.

"I love you" Harry stopped and turned to Draco.

"I love you too and I always will" Harry leant into Draco and kissed him "now seriously im hungry, let's go"

At eleven they made their way over to the burrow to meet everyone for the rest of the presents. They all sat round the lounge with the presents in the middle.

"Ok, as usual. Youngest first." Molly gestured at Ginny who reached out for the package with her name on she opened the tag and read out it was from Harry she pulled the paper off and opened the box

"Oh, wow Harry this is amazing, I won't have to use George's old bludgers anymore, they are horribly bad tempered! Thank you!" she showed everyone the set of balls and gloves neatly arranged in the box.

"Right, now, around the circle, Luna your next"

Luna stretched out for the neatly wrapped package sat towards the middle of the pile. Hers was from Draco, she carefully peeled off the paper and inside was a necklace and hanging from it was a sky blue dreamcatcher with a sapphire jewel hanging from it as it was her birth stone. "This is truly lovely Draco thank you, I expect it keeps away evil spirits too"

Next was Andromeda who let Teddy grab the present. He opened it revealing a photo album and Andromeda was desperately looking to try to read the tag.

"Ah molly, thank you, I've been meaning to get one I think I mentioned that to you"

"Yes that's what gave me the idea!"

Mr Wealsey picked out his which looked like a wand box. It was from Hermione. He opened the box and inside was a muggle dentist kit. "Gosh this is fascinating! I shall study that later, that you Hermione"

"You're welcome, my father has just got a new one so said you were welcome to this one"

Harry was next and picked up the clumsily wrapped package from Ron which was actually quite heavy. He opened it to a book whose title read Great Britain's Quiditch team throughout the ages. Harry opened it to a page Ron had marked and laughed as it was a picture of the recent team with his picture under seeker. "Thanks Ron, that's pretty awesome"

Molly was sat next to Harry and plucked out her present "ah, it's from George. Do I dare open it?" she laughed and pulled off the paper. A knitted jumper was folded up inside

"I thought you always make us stuff so I enchanted this one for you, it changes colour depending on your mood so we know when to stay clear!" George laughed

"You cheeky little sod!" Molly pretended to smack him over the head "thank you George" George grabbed for his present from Bill. It was flat like and envelope. George took out a piece of paper and read it.

"It's a contract for a building in Hogsmede for another Weasley Wizard Wheezes" Bill said

"That incredible how did you manage that?"

"I have contacts" Bill said secretively

"There go Gin', job for you!" George laughed sarcastically.

Neville was next and his was from fleur. His too was a book, but one called 'plants of the wizarding world' "thanks fleur, this will really help!" she smiled kindly as Bill reached for his. The tag read 'dad' and bill opened it revealing a wooden box which inside contained a writing set.

"This is a hint; we want to hear from you more often!" Mr Weasley laughed.

"Thanks dad, I'll try to send more owls"

Draco picked up his which was from Luna; they laughed at the coincidence then opened it eagerly. She had bought him a sketch book and charcoal. "Thanks Luna, I'm really low on supplies!"

Hermione was sat next to Draco and she reached for hers from Neville. He had got her a journal and a sleek grey quill. "Thank you Neville it's lovely!"

Hermione passed fleur hers as she was stuck fast pregnant. "Thanks" his was from Narcissa. She opened it and inside was a knitted pink dress. "Awh, thank you!"

"You told me it was going to be a girl so I made something for her"

"It's beautiful" Fleur smiled

Ron reached for his from Ginny who was already laughing. "What?" Ron asked

"Nothing, nothing" Ron opened the lid of the wrapped present and looked inside when a boxing glove soared out and punched him in the face. Everyone was in hysterics. "Thanks Gin, love you" He said sarcastically

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist Ginny took the thing she was hiding from behind her back and walked over to Ron. It was a t-shirt with a picture of the box and the glove and words that read 'I fell for it' "merry Christmas!" Ginny laughed and sat back down. Narcissa reached for hers which was from Teddy and Andromeda. They had got her jewellery box with an indictable extension charm.

"Ooh thank you that's very nice indeed!" everyone stood up and thanked each other.

"Right everyone, into the kitchen, tea time!"

"No sign of him then" Draco said

"I wasn't looking and why are you still going on about this?"

"Im not, just pointing it out" Draco slunk off and Harry shook his head.

"Harry?" Harry turned to see Charlie waiting in the doorway who gestured outside and Harry followed, he led them round the back of the house. Charlie stopped and pushed Harry against the wall and kissed him. Harry broke away quickly "what, im not even aloud to kiss you anymore, I don't hear from you in ages then this. What's going on?"

"I took your advice, I told Draco"

"Oh" Charlie said

"Well you were right it works"

"It didn't seem to be working just now"

"We had a fight, about you"

"Figures, me and my stupid advice, stupid, stupid advice. I'm sorry Harry im being a jerk, just jealous, don't worry, come on, dinner is ready."

They walked back to the house in silence and into the kitchen just as everyone was about to sit down. Harry looked at Draco who scowled at him. Then he realised, Charlie had taken him to the bathroom window, Draco must have been in there and must have seen them. Harry looked back at Draco who was still glaring at him "later" Harry mouthed.

After the meal Draco and Harry headed home with Andromeda, Teddy and Narcissa. They walked apart from each other and said nothing.

"I think there's going to be a row" Andromeda whispered to Narcissa

"Maybe we should sound proof the whole of upstairs and just keep Ted down with us" she replied, Andromeda nodded.

They barely got up the stairs to the first floor when it started "you were round the back of the fucking house fooling around with him!"

"No I wasn't! He kissed me" Harry yelled back

"Yeah right gimme a break! I SAW YOU!"

"Yeah and if you stayed you would have seen that I broke away so quickly and told him what had happened, 'cause in Romania he told me to make things right with you! But he didn't know I had, so to him we were still together!"

"Oh great so you were cheating on him with me and on me with him!"

"I DONT LOVE HIM DRACO"

"Obviously! You don't seem to love me either!"

"I do! You have to understand that!" Harry pleaded

"No Harry, those are just words. Just words they mean nothing to me anymore, I wish I never agreed to get back with you! You're so orientated about how crap your life is and how mucked up you are, but have no idea, no fucking idea how hard life was for me! None whatsoever!"

"Well I did until you took away two years of my life!"

"I HAD TO! OTHERWISE YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN TORCHURED TO DEATH BY VOLDEMORT!"

"Excuses, excuses, there's gotta be another reason why you're so pissed off I had another relationship because I moved on and stopped wallowing at myself!"

"I wasn't wallowing at myself! You have some nerve coming in and saying all this after all you are the one who has caused all of this!"

"ME? How is this my fault? You. Are . Jealous. That's the bottom line. I gave up my perfectly happy relationship with him to be with you!"

"Well if it was so happy then go back to it!"

"Fine! I will!" Harry apparated to the field outside the burrow and sent a patronas to Charlie. Draco crumpled to the floor where he was.

Charlie came out the house quietly and sat next to Harry who rested his head on Charlie's chest and just cried.

"Hey, what happened? Harry what's wrong?"

"We broke up, that's it, and it's over. Everything is gone."

"This is all my fault, I'm sorry Harry"

"No, it's not you, I don't really want to talk about it right now I just need you with me"

"Wont Draco be upset?"

"What he thinks doesn't matter anymore"

"Harry it was a fight, you don't mean this"

"Yes I do I don't know what I ever saw in him"

"Harry if you didn't know that then you wouldn't be upset which means you do feel something for him still" Harry shook his head and Charlie said no more just embraced him there and then.

"I think it's stopped" Andromeda said. They let down the sound barrier and heard nothing.

"Harry I've said it once and I'll say it again, you've got to man up!" Harry started to argue "just shut up a sec. Yeah you defeated Voldemort big deal, but you always had people helping you, there were always people around you, we aren't wrapping you in cotton wool anymore you have to sort this out on your own, you have to talk to him"

"No! You don't understand! I don't want to talk to him, I don't want him ruining my life as much as he already has! Why don't I just leave him and come back to Romania with you!"

"Harry, no that's not going to help anything. I can see that this whole situation arose from me so we are going back to Grimmauld place and we are putting this right." Charlie grabbed Harry's wrist

"I'm not going back there! Charlie let go!" They were in the hallway of Grimmauld place; Andromeda came to see what was happening.

"Should you be here?" she asked kindly

"Yes, watch him for me, make sure he doesn't piss off somewhere like a coward" Charlie said as he stormed down the corridor and up the stairs, two at a time. He walked down the corridor and slowed until he was standing over Draco who scrambled to his feet.

"Stay away from me" Draco spat

"I don't want to hurt you or shout at you or beat you up or anything else that is a possibility in your head." Charlie stepped toward Draco and folded his arms "now I hear this has all arisen over me?" Charlie cocked his head slightly "now I think that's bullshit. Harry loves **you. **Not me, so I don't know why this has been such a massive problem?"

"Yeah he has a funny way of showing it snogging the face off you today!"

"You see that was my fault. Harry tries to protect everyone around him, by sometimes by doing so he actually makes things worse"

"What do-"Draco started

"Just, let me finish. When he was in Romania with me, I told him to stop wallowing and if he liked you just to go and ask you to take it upon himself to make things right, so he went home and I heard nothing from him, at all, so I assumed he hadn't done it yet, so I waited and nothing, then when he wrote to me about Christmas there was no news of you. So when I came I assumed, stupidly that we were the same as we were before, in Romania, so I kissed him, he immediately broke away and stopped it saying how wrong it was. So he didn't tell me about you cus he didn't want to hurt me and he didn't tell you about me because he didn't want to hurt you and in doing so this whole thing has come up. So yes I take blame, Harry takes blame too but I think you should just listen to him when he tries to explain himself" Draco said nothing

"That's nothing against you; he is downstairs, hopefully, so I think you should talk."

"Are you some sort of counsellor? By the way I don't take advice from Weasleys, but I'll talk to Harry for his sake not yours." Draco swerved around Charlie and walked down the stairs. Charlie shrugged and followed. Narcissa had taken Teddy to bed and Harry was sat in the lounge with Andromeda, they stopped walking when Draco came in. Andromeda stood up and went to meet Charlie in the corridor.

"It should be quite civil now" He said and they listened

Harry cast a sound proof so they could have some privacy.

Draco spoke first "you really don't love him"

"Of course I don't! He was an escape, from everything here, I never did it to hurt you!"

"I still would have preferred you to tell me"

"I know I'm sorry, I thought I was doing the right thing" Draco nodded.

"Im sorry for shutting you out, I should have listened to you"

"This is the last thing I wanted to happen on Christmas" Harry whined

"Me too"

"Blame it on the alcohol?" Harry asked

Draco laughed quietly "yeah" they moved toward each other so quickly it's like they ran, they embraced one another and were both crying.

"I never want to fight with you again, your too much to lose" Harry whispered

"Me too" Draco whispered "are you sure Charlie's ok with this?"

"Yeah" a voice came from the door. Charlie and Andromeda were stood in the door frame

"I put a sound proof up!" Harry said

"Really badly!" Charlie laughed. Harry buried his face in Draco's chest.

"Right its 2 am, anyone for a brandy?" Charlie asked. Harry and Draco looked at each other and laughed

"No, thank you!" Harry said and the two of them went upstairs to Harry's room.


	3. New year, Fresh start

Chapter 27 (2)

Draco and Harry were sat on the sofa in the living room of Grimmauld place waiting till Teddy and Andromeda were out of the house.  
"We are going to the park Draco if you want to come? Your welcome too Harry if you want" Teddy clutched his nan's hand as he looked up at them, begging them with his big brown, puppy eyes.  
"Sorry Teddy, I have to head back to the centre now maybe another time" Draco crouched down and gave Teddy a hug who stared at Draco with a grumpy look on his face.  
"And I've got Quidditch practice sorry teddy" Harry smiled at the boy and wished him a good time at the park. As soon as the door was shut harry pulled Draco to the sofa and pulled him on top of him. Draco kissed Harry's neck and Harry ran his hand down Draco's back. Draco unbuttoned Harry's shirt and kissed his chest, he pushed his body against Harry and groaned, Harry held Draco's face and kissed him.  
"I love you, I didn't think I ever could and it's probably too soon to say but I do"  
"I love you too, always have, always will"  
They kissed and rolled around until Harry broke away suddenly.  
"What's wrong?" Draco asked abruptly.  
"I-I remember" Draco rolled back onto his knees and Harry sat up.  
"What? Remember what"  
"about us, the obliviated memories" Harry sat wide eyed.  
"but you can't Harry it's not possible" Draco looked at Harry with a concerned stare "its ok, you don't have to pretend for me, I love you for who you are not what you wish you were" Draco tried to pull Harry into a hug but Harry pulled away, Draco looked worriedly at him.  
" but I'm not, honestly, I do, Cedric, Triwizard, the hospital where you met Sirius, Snape finding out, the train at the start of sixth year, I don't know how but I do Draco honestly I do" Harry was on his knees too now. Draco sat there, partially in shock, partially in the hope that it might all turn out ok. "Draco, please say something"  
"what does this mean? Are they going to stick? What are we going to do?"  
"Well we need to tell healer McCain and if they're back for good…" Draco laughed quietly.

"Then that will be the best thing ever" Harry kissed Draco and Draco wrapped his arms around Harry's neck.

All of a sudden there was a cough in the fireplace. Heads whipped round to see Hermione standing in the Floo network. They both turned on the sofa to look at the fireplace. They were both bright red; Harry subtly took Draco's hand.  
"hey, err Harry; George wanted to clear stuff about the New Year" Hermione shifted her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.  
"Ok tell him I will be there this evening" Harry replies awkwardly  
"care to explain?" Hermione folded her arms and looked between them.  
"Come through, it will be easier to explain face to face" Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and sat in the armchair opposite them.  
"Well we decided to give it a shot and well..."  
"It works" Draco finished Harry's sentence.  
"Well I'm glad for both of you" she smiled and stood up.  
"wait you haven't heard the rest; I have my memories back" Hermione sank back down to the sofa.  
"What?" Hermione had a look of confusion and worry on her face.  
"I remember them all of them" Harry swallowed nervously  
"you need to see healer McCain right now" Hermione was on the edge of her seat and had harry hand clenched in hers.  
"That's where we are going now" Draco said as he stood up from the sofa  
"see you later" Harry said with a half-smile. Hermione hugged him and walked to the fireplace with a flash of green she was gone.  
"Because that wasn't awkward, telling everyone else will be a breeze!" Draco laughed  
"hmm you could say that"

"Everything's going to be alright now, you'll see" Draco smiled

"I hope so; I just want a normal relationship and a normal life"

"Well we could for as normal as possible cus you know, we haven't exactly had to average wizard life have we?"

"I guess not, you know what I mean!"  
Harry kissed Draco and pulled him toward the apparation point, Draco followed, his fingers entwined around Harry's as they disappeared.

OOoOoooO

They disapperated to the gates of the centre and walked in side by side, making sure they weren't unusually close together. The centre was friendly looking and extremely clean. Pictures hung on the wall painted by patients, Draco showed Harry some of his favourites. They moved down the colourful corridors and up a flight of stairs and down another long hallway which had private rooms branching off on each side.

"This is the private ward, for people who are in a long healing process or if it's someone well known and is going to be bugged a lot or people who have conditions that mean they need to be isolated."

Harry nodded in understandingly and they carried on walking. They passed several patients on the way to McCain's office, most greeted them kindly. However they received some slightly more unnerving glares too.

"just keep walking" Draco whispered "don't give them the satisfaction" They finally reached the door, Draco knocked and half smiled at Harry who remained still.  
"Enter" a voice said firmly from within the room. "Ah Draco, Harry how can I help you?"  
Harry looked nervously at Draco and took a deep breath "I've got all my memories back" Harry choked. Draco clutched Harry's hand and squeezed it. The healer looked at the two with a look of deep concern on her face.  
"I think you better take a seat" she spoke quietly.  
They sat down in two leather office chairs in front of her desk. She pulled her's closer to the desk and reached over the table in front of her to get a pen and paper from the far side. Finally she was still and she looked between them; at the hands that were so tightly held together. McCain leant forward and spoke calmly and kindly in quiet tones.

"Sometimes memories taken away with such love can very rarely and I mean extremely rarely be retrieved when this love is found again" She paused and looked for their reaction. Draco spoke first.  
"Why didn't you say before?" Draco asked showing his slightly more impatient side.  
"Because the love has to be real it can't be forced or aimed for, you two had to do this on your own" Harry was surprised at how little questioning was taking place on her part. "However to make sure these memories stay, the hole that has been created needs to be well sewn up if you see what I mean" they nodded slowly. She continued, standing up and moving to the bookshelf on the far side of the room. "there is a charm which will do this"  
"well what are we waiting for?" Harry exclaimed "can't we do it now?"  
McCain pulled a book of one of the higher shelves and wiped off the dust that covered the spine. The cover read 'Enchantments for Mental Retrieval' "the particular spell is described in here, it hasn't been used for a very long time and the only problem with it is that it is a very long and excruciatingly painful operation" Harry sank to his seat and looked at the floor puzzling over the news.  
"How painful?" he managed to splutter and looked up cautiously for the answer.  
"nearly as much so as the Cruciatus curse" the boys looked at each other, Draco seemed almost scared "and you have to remain conscious throughout or it cannot work" Harry shut his eyes and bowed his head "I'm sorry, I will give you a minute let me know if this is something you would want to do" She stood up and walked out of the office closing the door quietly behind her.  
Draco turned to Harry and took both his hands in his own. "Listen, Harry you don't gave to put yourself through that, we can make new memories, remember like you said" Draco changed to hold Harry's shoulders and was trying to gain eye contact.  
Harry spoke so softly he was hardly speaking "I want to, I love these memories I don't want new ones I'm going to do it" He looked up into Draco's grey eyes and smiled weakly.  
"Don't do this for me Harry, I love you the way you are and I don't want you to change to try to make me feel better about what I did"

"I'm doing it for both of us, I want to know what we were, what we are and I want to be able to laugh at what we did, and cherish these memories, I don't want to have to have you recite them or for me to have to read and decipher my point of view from memories and journals."

Draco sighed "okay. Then know this, no matter what happens I will be with you the whole way, you can squeeze my hand until all the bones are broken, don't worry I will be there" Draco leaned in and kissed Harry then wrapped his arms around him.  
"Thank you" Harry whispered.

Harry stood up and poked his head out of the door and McCain came back into the room and sat down at her desk. "So what have you come to?"

"I think it is something I want to go through with." Harry said as confidently as he could manage.

"Okay then, we will need to discuss the process and what this will mean in the future." She took out a diary and an elegant blue quill. "So, the sooner this is done the better, but it is up to you to decide when"

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Harry asked quickly and Draco looked at Harry "before I change my mind"

"Right, okay, let me just go and check if that would be possible, I'll be right back" She disappeared out of the room again.

"Tomorrow?" Draco stuttered

Harry nodded "well I don't want it spoiling New Year and it will be nice to start a New Year knowing that I'm ok"

"Okay, case won, it's just a bit fast that's all"

"It'll all come right soon, I'm sure of it"

McCain bustled her way back into the office and sat down again.

"Yep. That's all sorted, tomorrow at 12 o' clock." She wrote the date and time in her diary. "so it's just like any normal operation, don't eat and drink anything bar water 12 hours prior to the operation, you will need to arrive here half an hour before hand and bring essential like pyjamas as you will have to stay for a couple of days after so we can check you stability. Other than that we are sorted, do you have any queries at all?"

"Erm, not really" Harry said

"I do" Draco spoke "will I be able to stay with him during it"

"Yes, that should be fine" She said and jotted it down on the paper. "Okay if that's it then I will see you tomorrow at 12" She smiled and held the door for them.

"Thanks"

"We should probably head over to the burrow everyone will be arriving soon"

Draco nodded and they disapperated to the Weasley's garden. Harry knocked on the door and molly opened it.

"Hello my dears, Luna and Hermione are in the living room if you want to join them"

"Where is everyone?"Harry asked as he sat down on the sofa next to Hermione and Draco sat opposite next to Luna.

"Molly is in the kitchen, Andromeda, Teddy and Narcissa are coming shortly and the rest are round the back." Hermione said as she stared at Harry's neck curiously. "What's that" she asked

"What's what" Harry replied sharply. Luna had moved to sit the other side of Harry

"There's one this side too" She spoke in her usual floaty voice.

"That!" Hermione said pointing at the red mark on Harry's neck "oh my goodness that a love bite!" She gasped. Harry's hand shot to his neck

"No its not!" he shouted. Draco stood up slowly and crept towards the door.

"A love bite! But who?" Luna laughed. Draco accidently knocked a cup which smashed don the floor. Luna spun round and laughed "you! Really?"

Harry nodded sheepishly

"That's not my preferred way of finding out but that's wonderful!" Luna and Hermione were laughing and trying to pry Harry's fingers of his neck to get a glimpse of Draco's handiwork.

"Draco has one too!" Harry shouted, the two girls pounced on Draco trying to peel off Draco's shirt collar. There was a lot of hysterical laughter and an out of control pillow fight with the couch cushions. It ended with them all lying on the floor laughing. Hermione stood up. "I'm just going to talk to Molly, be right back"

"I'll come with you" Luna skipped after Hermione. Harry and Draco were sat on the sofa beaming

"That was funny" Harry laughed "defiantly have to be more careful with the placing of those."

Draco laughed "oh I think they are well placed enough" He raised his eyebrows a couple of times and kissed Harry.

Within the next half an hour everyone had arrived at the burrow and were enjoying a marvellous Christmas leftover dinner by Molly.

"Best part of Christmas" Mr Weasley said with a mouthful of turkey. Everyone laughed and they discussed Christmas traditions.

When everyone had finished harry stood up "I have announcement, well if you can call him that" Hermione shot Molly a concerned look  
"err , ah Ginny dear can you take Teddy upstairs and play with him for a while please?" Molly glared at Ginny who didn't argue just led Teddy upstairs and looked round with questioning glares "carry on Harry dear"  
" well I am glad to say that I have the obliviated memories back" there was a moment of awkward silence before anyone spoke  
"what, wait! What, how?" Ron spluttered  
Draco stood up and held Harry's hand "sometimes lost memories can be returned if the source of the memory is returned.  
"Wait so you and you" Ron said waving his finger between them. He looked quite distressed. There was a low level laugh at this reaction, but hen more silence.  
"The only thing is that to keep these memories I have to have a sort of operation charm thing but it is extremely painful and exhausting" Harry looked round for any supporting words, which there seemed to be few of.  
"Are you going to have it?" Hermione asked bluntly  
Harry nodded "yes, tomorrow afternoon" There was a quite rumble of whispers. "I hope everyone will support my decision"

"Of course we will Harry dear, we are all really please for the both of you" Molly smiled kindly and Harry sat back down. "Right I'm going to get this cleared up then I think we should play a game in celebration." Andromeda, Narcissa and Charlie helped clear the plates away. Harry caught Charlie's eye who winked at him, smiled and nodded in approval. Harry smiled back at him and followed Draco to the living room.

Everyone wished him good luck and a wizard chess tournament commenced to keep everyone's mind off the subject.

Harry woke up the next morning feeling like someone had just thrown him off a cliff; his stomach was flipping with nerves and hunger. He reached for his glasses and slugged his way downstairs to find Draco already waiting in the kitchen with Andromeda.

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked

"I dunno, apprehensive, hungry" and walked into Draco's outstretched arms, hugging him.

"You'll be fine, as for the hunger, there's nothing I can do about that just apart from drink water"

Harry laughed quietly "can we go somewhere today as im gunna be cooped up for the foreseeable?"

"Yeah sure, where do you wanna go?" Draco asked as he handed Harry a glass of water and a plain biscuit, "it won't hurt" he whispered

"Thanks, could we go down to Devon, we could walk on the moors" Draco nodded in agreement. "I'll just go get changed" Harry said and wandered back out as quietly as he came.

"I think he's really worried" Draco told Andromeda

"So do I, he shouldn't have to do this, he suffered enough pain in the war"

"Yep and it's my fault"

"No Draco, it's not I think he's more worried that if it doesn't work it will upset you more than it will him" Andromeda sat down at the table, opposite Draco

"I just want him to be happy" He said

"I know" She smiled sympathetically and he left the kitchen, his spirits dampened.

"You ready?" Draco asked Harry as they wrapped up in hats and scarves

"Yep" Harry took Draco's hand and they apparated to the cottage in Devon

"Let's walk first, then we can go inside and warm up" He suggested and they tramped up the hill onto the moors which were sprinkled with a thin layer of snow. Harry let Draco get slightly in front before picking up a clump of snow and throwing it at him. It hit him square in the back and he turned slowly.

"Is this a challenge Potter?" Draco asked with a cheeky smile. Harry bent down and picked up another and through it at Draco; this one hit him right between the eyes. "You're on" Draco whispered and gathered a lump of snow and ran towards Harry who had hidden behind a large rock.

"Last time we had a snowball fight, I won!" Harry shouted

"Yeah, well you had an invisibility cloak and dragged me by my feet, so it was a bit hard to fight back!" Draco shouted back

"You didn't try very hard!" Harry laughed

Draco ran after Harry and jumped on him, knocking him flat to the ground into a deep pile of snow and lying on him

"Is this sufficient participation?" Draco asked

Harry shrugged. Draco kissed Harry, "how about now?"

"Yeah that's good" Harry laughed.

They were both soaked to the skin and freezing when they got back to the cottage. Harry lit a fire in the lounge while Draco was drying their coats and accessories.

"Here you go" Harry handed Draco a set of clothes and a pair of thick socks

"Thanks" Draco took them and got changed. They curled up under a blanket by the fire and talked.

"We should do this more often" Harry whispered as he curled up into Draco's arms.

"Defiantly, now that everyone knows, we can come here more often for weekends and stuff" Harry nodded

"Harry, Harry" Draco's voice came from somewhere beyond him "come on its 11 o' clock, we've got to get going"

Harry opened his eyes and Draco handed him his glasses "did we fall asleep?"

"Yeah, apparently, I just woke up; let's head back to Grimmauld place to get your stuff"

Harry heaved himself up and followed Draco to the kitchen where they picked up their coats and scarves, hats and gloves, then apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Harry and Draco walked down the familiar corridors to Healer McCain's office and paused outside her office. "Ready?" Draco asked. Harry took a deep breath and nodded. Draco knocked and McCain opened the door.

"Hello, are we all ready?" Harry nodded "good, right if you follow me" She walked down the corridor to the left and led them to a quieter end of the centre. "This is the concentrated private corridor, for people like yourself" McCain. She led them past the rooms and down the stairs to a waiting room and handed Harry a hospital gown. Harry sat on the hard short chairs in the waiting room with his hand held between Draco's. Narcissa had come along to stay with Draco during the process. A nurse stepped out of operation room seven "we are ready for you now Mr potter" the three stood up and walked toward the door "sorry you have to wait through here"  
"but, no I have to be with him" Draco pleaded his eyes beginning to shine with tears  
"I'm sorry follow me" she led Draco and his mother through into a small room to the side of the operation room, Draco looked over his shoulder and Harry gave him a weak smile.  
"Mr Potter if you could lye here, for this procedure you must regain consciousness throughout you must not try to move and don't try to stop it because once it has started it cannot be stopped and therefore makes it even more mentally difficult for the casters." The nurse who spoke didn't make eye contact with him and spoke extremely bluntly. Harry lay down and a leather buckle was strapped tightly but comfortably around his waist to prevent him from falling when it started. Four doctors stood over him with masks and one took off his glasses; they were now just white fuzzy things and it begun.

Draco gasped when he heard the first scream. Tears began to roll down Draco's face. Harry was in there being as good as tortured and he just had to listen. He held himself together as well as he could. Every moment the screams worsened Draco's eyes were squeezed shut. His mother shuffled along the bench, wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head to her chest where she had him and gently rocked like she would a baby.

At last it stopped Draco sat up and wiped his eyes with his sleeve "that was horrible" he said with a choked whisper  
"I know, it's over now" Narcissa whispered  
A nurse came through the door.  
"Can I see him?" Draco looked up at her  
"he's sleeping but your welcome to sit with him, once we have moved him to his room" she looked bright and happy but underneath she was as concerned as Draco.  
Draco and his mother walked back up the stairs and along the private corridor into a bright room in which Harry had been moved to. Harry was asleep on the bed that was placed in the middle of the room. Draco pulled up a chair next to it and held Harry's hand between his.  
About an hour later Draco felt a squeeze on his hand and he looked up, Harry was looking at him and smiling.  
"Hey" Harry said  
"hello" Draco laughed a little as a tear ran down his face, Harry wiped it away with his thumb. Neither of them spoke about what they had both just experienced as it would involve them both getting upset again.  
"It's all back to how it should have been"  
Harry nodded and ran his fingers through Draco's hair. "apart from the newspapers" Draco frowned  
"oh yeah but who cares you defeated the darkest wizard of all time some words in a paper aren't going to beat you now are they?"  
"they will if you don't help me"  
"I will be right there all the way" Draco smiled "go to sleep harry, I will come back about 6:00" Draco leant over, kissed harry and slipped out the room turning to smile at him as he shut the door.  
"How is he?" Nacrissa asked as they walked down the white corridors  
"tired but ok the important thing is that he is ok and he has his memories back for good"  
"how long will he have to stay there for?"  
"the doctor said he could be out tomorrow but it depends on his condition" Draco took his mother's arm and they disapperated to the burrow.

"Hello" Draco called as they walked in.

"Hey! In here!" a voice came from the sitting room. They walked in and sat down among Molly, Ron, Hermione, Luna and George.

"How did it go?" Hermione asked

"Fine, it was horrible though, being able to hear everything but not being able to get to him" Draco answered

"What do you mean? I thought you were allowed to sit with him" Luna asked

"They didn't let me, we just had to sit in a side room and listen" everyone in the room cringed and Ron shuffled uncomfortably and went to leave until Hermione jabbed him in the side sharply and gave him a stern look.

"I'm gunna go see him later if anyone else wants to come." Draco told them.

"I'll go "Molly said and Hermione and Luna were going to come too, Ron would come with George the next day.

There was a quiet knock on the door of Harry's room and Draco walked in closing the door carefully behind him. "Hi, how you doin?" Draco walked over and pulled up a chair next to Harry.

"Alright, quite achy though and tired" Harry turned to face Draco and ran his fingers through Draco's blonde hair. "Have they said when I can come out?"

"No, not yet, I will find out in a minute"

"Okay, but stay for a bit yeah" Harry asked

"Course" Draco nodded and kissed Harry softly, putting his head on the pillow next to Harry's.

"I've been thinking" Harry said

"Oh dear" Draco said comically

"When I'm out, how would you like to move in with me?" Harry looked at Draco anxiously for his reaction.

"Really? Okay, yeah" Draco laughed quietly and smiled, tears filling his eyes.

"Hey? What's wrong?"

"I just thought, ever since the day on the train that I never be able to talk to you again let alone live with you yet here we are"

"And here we'll stay, forever" Harry whispered in Draco's ear, pulling him close.

"Molly, Hermione and Luna are waiting to see you, they re gunna start getting suspicious soon." Draco laughed and stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow, he kissed Harry on the forehead and left the room and in filed a very worried looking Molly, Hermione and Luna.

"Harry! How are you!" Hermione exclaimed

"I'm alright thanks" Luna had placed a vase with brightly coloured flowers on the table by the window and Molly placed a box of chocolates on Harry's bedside table. "Thank you" Harry smiled.

"As long you okay, we'll leave you to rest"

"See you later Harry" Luna and Hermione said cheerfully.

Harry lay in the hospital bed looking up at the ceiling, he was still placing and familiarising himself with all his returned memories when he heard the door of his room click open. Healer McCain poked her head in  
"can I come in?" Harry nodded and sat up against the pillows heaving his body up which to him felt as if it were made of lead.  
"How are you feeling today Harry?" she was holding a clip board and pen at the ready  
"physically? Achy. Mentally? Tired. Overall? Crap." Harry looked at her almost sarcastically  
"well that sounded very truthful, I don't suppose you can stand up"  
"well I can try" Harry swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Almost as quickly as he had stood up he was sat down again with his eyes squeezed shut holding his head.  
"Yes that's what I thought. We are going to keep you in till Tuesday 4th of January"  
Harry opened his eyes and looked at her. "But that's a week, that's over New Year and I have Quidditch practice!"  
"Well I'm sorry Mr Potter but you are going to have to cancel the Quidditch, I will see what I can do about New Year"  
Harry lay back down and stared at the ceiling again. He didn't acknowledge her as she left just lay perfectly still.

Draco visited twice a day and bought cookies made by molly and a wizard chess set. Hermione and Ron came a lot too and they just talked usually. Ginny came once but since her mother and father had told her about Draco and Harry she hadn't much wanted to be near either of them even if Harry was in hospital. You could tell Luna had been because the room was filled with charms and strange pebbles to keep away evil creatures and spirits. Teddy had even come in on Thursday and had given Harry scoundrel, however Andromeda had to come back and get it that evening as Teddy wouldn't sleep without him. Harry's room was full of flowers, cards, charms and people more or less all the time.

The doctors had found a way to make sure Harry could be home for New Year, since he couldn't stand without fainting the centre had provided him with a wheelchair and a pair of crutches for support. Draco helped Harry change into a suitable new year's outfit and has then half lifted half supported him into the wheelchair and pushed him out of the room.  
"I hope this isn't going to be a long term thing" Harry said as they swiftly moved down the corridors.  
"Oh I dunno, it means I have the upper hand" Draco whispered into Harry's ear. Harry turned his head and looked up at Draco who was smirking.  
"Oh you wish bird food" Harry was so thrilled with his memories he had begun to bring them up more and especially the one about the green canary.

They arrived to a dark almost abandoned looking Grimmauld place  
"what's going on?" Harry asked as they walked down the deserted hallway and into the lounge.  
"SUPRISE!" all the lights turned on and everyone jumped up from where they were hiding everyone was smiling. The only one who didn't look thrilled was Ginny.  
"It's good to see you back in the land of the living dear" Molly said and gave him a big hug.  
"It feels good. it's so horrible being cooped up in one room knowing if you try to walk you will collapse" Draco pushed Harry up to the gap in chairs around the table and everyone sat down. Harry at the head of the table with Draco to his right then teddy, Andromeda, Nacrissa, Molly, Luna, Neville, Ollivander, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, Arthur, George, Ron, Hermione, the Diggorys and Simon to Harry's left. Everyone wore party hats although Teddy's had to be shrunk as it kept slipping over his eyes.

Molly, Andromeda and Kreacher, together had made a marvellous feast of pork, beef, potatoes which were roasted, mashed, boiled. There were sausages, stuffing balls, pork pies, Yorkshire puddings, Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots, cabbage and so much more. They held a toast "to a fresh start" Molly cheered and everyone repeated and they all dug in.

After the meal they all retreated to the living room where the rest of the party was going to be. Gradually other people began to arrive and fill into the room. Drinks were handed out and nibbles were shared around. Teddy insisted he sat on Harry's knee as he was in the "chair-spinney" everyone was laughing and joking. At about 11:30 Molly herded everyone up to the roof. George set up the masterpiece firework display he and Fred had planned.  
"hi everyone I just want to say a few things" everyone turned to look at George "Fred and I planned this extravaganza a couple of years ago and I thought, well, we both thought we would both be here to see it, but as it turns out, we're not. But I'm not gunna let this bring down the spirit because you and I both know that Fred is here, really, he's here" George held his hand to his heart. "I would also like to congratulate Harry on his success in his operation and hope he is standing again soon, and on that note here it is. The Weasley twins 2000 fireworks Marvalosa Masterpiece!" Four fireworks shot off, a red, a yellow a green and a blue. They curved in and out each other forming the Hogwarts crest. Then the crest burst into an orange dragon with yellow eyes which reminded every one of the firework dragon that had chased Umbridge through the school. It soared over everyone's head and exploded into a red and yellow waterfall, the whole of the cannons team soaring through with 'Hank Black' focussed at the front, they soared up into the sky and out of sight. Two blue fireworks whizzed round in a circle forming the black lake and Durmstrang's boat emerged from it and turned into the Beauxbaton's Carriage. The lake swirled around two more fireworks that formed the Hogwarts Express that shot across the sky. Six fireworks went off and everyone turned back to look at them. The fireworks formed a Quidditch pitch and players flew round as Harry soared past and caught the snitch. Everyone cheered and George punched Harry's arm lightly to see his reaction, Harry laughed. It went silent the all off a sudden three fireworks flew up either side of Grimmauld place and crossed overhead leaving silver and gold trails of light, they corkscrewed up and wrote 'Fred and George's firework extravaganza 2000' then in big letters 'WEASLEY" everyone clapped and hugged George congratulating him on the display.  
"Right everyone here we go! Count down to 2000" Molly yelled  
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4," Draco crouched down beside harry  
"3, 2" Draco whispered  
"1" Harry leaned him and kissed Draco, Ron kissed Hermione and all the other couples kissed too. Everyone cheered again and champagne was passed around. Everyone made their way downstairs apart from Harry and Draco.  
"Glad I got you home for that?" Draco asked smiling  
"You got be home? I thought it was healer McCain" Harry said shocked  
"only because I persuaded her and told her I'd look after you"  
"yes very glad indeed, thank you" Harry pulled Draco closer, kissing him, Draco straddled over Harry and kissed along his jawline. Harry put his arms around Draco's waist and pulled him closer, Draco leaned against him and the wheelchair tipped backwards sending them both crashing to the floor, they both lay there laughing.  
"What did McCain say about looking after me?" Harry was still laughing  
"Sorry" Draco was laughing so hard he didn't sound like he meant it at all, he heaved the wheelchair up and they made their way downstairs.  
They found the rest of the party in the living room; George had just opened a Fire whisky and was offering it around everyone.

"Right lets split, you kids, well I can't really call you kids anymore can I? Okay well you young adults can stay in here and we will retreat to the kitchen, she gestured to the rest of the adults and they filed out, Andromeda taking Teddy with her.

"Spin the bottle anyone?" George asked

"Alright, go on then" Ron said laughing slightly. They all sat in a relative circle around the room and George placed an empty bottle in the centre of the circle.

"Anyone for a beer?" Charlie asked and handed them around.

"Okay, so I'll go first" George spun the bottle, it whizzed round in a circle and stopped on Luna.

"Let's start easy, George you have to Eskimo kiss Luna" George leant forward trying not to laugh and rubbed noses with Luna, already everyone was laughing. Luna spun the empty fire whisky bottled and it came to a stop at Ron.

"Luna you have to kiss Ron on the cheek" Luna laughed and crawled across the circle to Ron and kissed him lightly on his left cheek.

Ron swept the bottle up and spun it clumsily " 'mione!" He blabbed

"Ron, Ron" Ginny was trying to get Ron's attention "you have to kiss Hermione ONCE on the lips"

Ron Leant forward and kissed Hermione, she practically had to force him off and he sat there grinning. Hermione spun and looked up at Draco and laughed, as did the rest of them.

"Hermione, tongues with Draco!" Ginny cried with laughter Hermione lent forward and kissed Draco forcefully then sat back. Draco nodded with satisfaction and everyone laughed even harder. The bottle spun furiously and stopped at Charlie, the room fell silent, Draco shrugged and kissed Charlie who looked quite shocked, there was a cheer as Draco shuffled back next to Harry who laughed genuinely at Draco.

Charlie took the bottle after handing everyone a pint of Fire Whisky and spun it fast, it slowed down and paused on Ginny "whoa!" shouted Charlie "im not kissing my sister!"

"Yes you are!" Hermione laughed and pushed him into Ginny, if only for a brief moment.

"Blimey Charlie! Stick to the men mate!" Ginny said, wiping her mouth and spinning the bottle which stopped on Neville, by this time everyone was get fairly drunk and once Ginny had kissed Neville George shouted

"Kiss the person to you left!" everyone lent left. George kissed Ginny who whimpered and yet again kissed Charlie who leant around and kissed Ron who didn't really care and basically fell onto Neville. Neville reluctantly kissed Hermione who threw herself on Harry. Harry pulled Draco towards him and kissed him, for a while.

"Okay, move on move on" George said, Draco pulled away and kissed Luna while laughing, she leaned over and kissed George. "Yey!"

"Let's play I never ever have" Ginny cried

"What's that shit all about then dear sissy?" Charlie asked

"well you go round, I'll go first, I never ever have had sex" Ginny said bluntly "and anyone who has has to take a vodka shot" Everyone nodded in understandment "so, go-on then who has?" A bottle of vodka sat in the middle and everyone held a shot glass, Charlie, Ron, Hermione, Harry, Draco and George all took a shot.

"Okay, Charlie your next"

"Okay, err, I never ever have been in a relationship with a girl" Everyone bar Hermione, Luna and Ginny took a shot.

"I never ever have had a vomit flavoured Bertie Bott" Ron said

Just George and Charlie drank this time.

Neville thought for a moment before he spoke "I never ever have been drunk"

"Really?" George said, quite shocked. Everyone else laughed and downed a shot. By the time it got to Luna they were all so wasted that they weren't even saying scenario and just drinking it anyway. Then George put some music on and everybody got up and started dancing while still laughing. Unnoticed Molly slipped in and turned all the alcohol to water and after about an hour everyone had sobered up.

It was 4 am and only Ron, Hermione, Harry, Draco, Luna and Neville were still awake. Everyone else had left or gone to bed  
"we're gunna head upstairs" Hermione said and Ron followed, harry stuck both his thumbs up and Ron mouthed 'fuck off' back to him. Harry laughed.

"Yeah we are gunna take off too, night" Luna and Neville plodded up the stairs once they were gone Draco helped Harry onto the sofa and he sat next to him, they both slipped their shoes off and Harry pulled off Draco's jacket they kissed their tongues meeting, Draco pulled off Harry's shirt and Harry rolled on top of Draco his legs between Draco's, and embraced each other. Draco pulled Harry's leg further up his waist and held it there. Harry kissed Draco's neck and rolled onto his side to face Draco. They smiled at each other and Draco nipped Harry's lip  
"you should get some sleep" Draco whispered  
"what? I'm in a hospital all day tomorrow I can sleep then!"  
"True" Draco said as his hand ran down Harry's side.

Harry woke to find himself embraced in Draco's arms; Draco stirred and woke up too.  
"Hello" Harry said  
"hey" Draco yawned kissed harry on the cheek. They could hear voices coming from the kitchen, they pulled their shirts on and Harry stood up with the aid of the crutches for balance and Draco walked with one hand one Harry's back to steady him. They waddled into the kitchen to find nearly everyone bar Narcissa Teddy and Andromeda eating breakfast made by Molly.  
"Morning..." George said with a big beaming smile. Both Harry and Draco realised that everyone will have come into the living room first to find them asleep together.  
"Have a good night's sleep Harry?" Charlie asked and raised his mug of coffee. Harry and Draco were both flushing scarlet and everyone laughed.  
"Don't worry mate! Least you were decent" Ron slapped Harry on the back and caused him to lose balance, nearly toppling over when Draco caught him and pulled out a chair.  
"Right, moving on. What can I get you for breakfast dears?" Molly asked cheerily.

"Just toast for me please" Harry replied as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Same for me please" Draco added.

When they'd finished Harry stood up, to go and get changed, but then went pale and collapsed. Charlie quickly caught him. Everyone took a short intake of breath.

"McCain said that might happen" Draco sighed "help me get him into the lounge please Charlie?"

"Sure" between them they managed to carry harry to the living room and lay him on the sofa.

"Thanks"

"No problem, are you two okay now?" Charlie asked cautiously

"Yeah. Yeah, we're good, I think it was just gaining each other's trust again and I think I overreacted a little too though"

"Oh, defiantly, Harry had a Maida-wobbly too though" Charlie laughed

"A what?"

"when Harry came to stay, he used to blow up and go on a rampage every time he thought about you, me and the other wranglers used to call it a Maida-wobbly, she was one of the crazy dragons we've got over there, the one Harry fought actually"

"Yeah, I think he mentioned that" They stopped talking because Harry had woken and was moaning.

"Oh my god my head! What the hell happened?"

"You passed out" Charlie said bluntly

"In the kitchen" Draco added

"I caught you" Charlie finished

"Right" Harry had his eyes squeezed shut and was holding his head.

"Okay, that's it, you're not well and im taking you back now 'cus your worrying me" Draco said slightly panicked.

"Im not due in till 2 and besides im fine now!"

"No you're not and I don't care you can just be early" Draco got Harry in the wheelchair

Harry was let out from the centre on the 2nd at 10 am. He immediately made his way to the burrow to catch up with everyone. Draco met him outside

"How you doin?" Draco asked as he greeted him with a kiss.

"Really good, especially knowing the fact that, I get to be with you forever and nothing is going to get in the way anymore" Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and pulled him close.

"I love you" Draco laughed

"I love you too" Harry held out his hand "come on, let's go inside, it's cold out here"  
"Harry! Glad to see you looking so well, you must be happy to be out and about?" Molly Weasley hugged him and firmly held his shoulders  
"yes very much so. I'm playing Quidditch on Friday if anyone wants to come and watch "  
"already? Shouldn't you rest?" Molly gasped  
"That's what I told him" Draco said with his arms folded "but he wouldn't listen" Draco smiled at Harry as if to say 'I told you so'  
"id listen to him Harry James potter, he's usually right" Molly shook her head and pottered off into the kitchen. Harry and Draco sat down in the lounge on the deep squashy sofas and waited to see who would appear. Ginny walked briskly down the stairs  
"mum!" she turned and saw Harry who waved at her, she smiled awkwardly and ran off to seek her mother. Harry sank back into the chair  
"she is never going to come to terms with this"  
"she will she just needs time Harry, you'll see" Draco smiled crookedly and held Harry's hand, stroking it with his thumb  
"I just need her to be supportive if this is going to work and to overthrow the media!" Harry sighed  
"I know" Draco pulled Harry close to him and hugged him tightly.  
"hey" they both sat up to see Simon sitting himself in the chair opposite them  
"hey" Harry and Draco said almost in unison  
"you're looking better Harry, last time I saw you-" he cut himself off and grimaced awkwardly remembering the two of them asleep on the sofa "the last time I saw you awake... You were in a wheelchair unable to stand!"  
"Yep that's me" Harry smiled uncomfortably "are you coming to the game on Friday?"  
"yeah I think I will" Simon smiled and stood up "well I just came to see how you were doing, I better be off now, see you around Draco and Harry, good luck I'll be cheering you on!" Simon disappeared out the front door.  
"So you're really gunna play Friday?" Draco looked at Harry seriously  
"yeah why not?" Harry shrugged  
"cus you could fall off and hurt yourself or loose balance or get hit by a bludger or-" Harry cut him off  
"Draco. I will be fine; I'll be careful, ok?"  
Draco nodded reluctantly and Harry kissed him lightly on the lips.


	4. The good people get hurt the worst

Chapter 4

The sun shone so brightly that the spectators had to cup their hands over their eyes to see the pitch, let alone the players. A tall old looking wizard stood in the middle of the pitch and held up his wand which sent a charm upwards, dimming the whole pitch. Draco was wearing a glamour too as the cameras wouldn't leave him alone either. Along with him and Simon were Ron, Hermione, Luna, George, Arthur Weasley and Fleur as her pregnancy had her bored senseless at home all day. They made their way up to the top box as Harry, well Hank had got them V.I.P tickets that allowed them onto the grounds too. Ron was wearing a Chudley Cannons woolly hat and scarf and was waving a banner furiously while chanting. Draco was still tense about the whole idea of Harry playing so Hermione had sat next to him to reassure him. The players assembled, Harry facing the other seeker, hands gripped tightly around his broom. The snitch was released and the two seekers shot upwards after it. The beater on the opposing team was shouting abuse at his teammates ordering them around the pitch, the Cannons were ahead when one of the other team faked a foul and they scored. A lot of too-ing and fro-ing continued and it showed that the teams hadn't practiced over the holidays. The Quaffle was thrown between the players rather clumsily. The Cannons scored but the other team quickly evened it out again. Draco was anxiously searching the skies for Harry as they hadn't been seen since the beginning.

"I think it's going to rain" Molly said glumly. Clouds had formed over the sky and sure enough it started to rain. At first it was only drizzle but every minute the sky darkened.

"Looks like we are going to have to put the lights on if it gets any darker!" the commentator chuckled. All of a sudden something fell from the sky, it was a broom. Draco took a short intake of breath and Hermione cupped her hands over her mouth.  
"No..." Draco whispered. It was impossible to tell whose broom it was, but they were sure it was a seekers. Everyone went silent waiting for the body to fall, nothing happened.  
"I told him he shouldn't have played" Draco cursed.  
"Shhh!" Hermione said sharply because at that moment a person fell from the sky, closely followed by another on a broom that scooped up the falling body and put it limp over his broom and soared to the ground. Medics rushed to where the person laid, the cannons team rushed to the seeker stood holding the broom Harry walked toward them, not looking at the unconscious seeker behind him. They all hugged him and patted him on the back and then they turned to watch. The seeker was carried off in a stretcher. Harry didn't realise he was holding the snitch until the referee held up his arm and the Cannons fans cheered. Draco jumped up and down and hugged Hermione then Luna.

The team were in the changing rooms when they heard feet on the stone stairs Draco burst in and threw his arms around Harry and kissed him. A few of Harry's teammates smirked but said nothing. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco.  
"I thought it was your broom" Draco was almost crying "I couldn't lose you again, what happened?"  
"well we were both heading for the snitch when a bludger flew up and hit the seeker's arm which caused him to collapse onto his broom and it tipped, by then I had caught the snitch. I caught the seeker by his robes and nearly got him onto my broom when he slipped from my grip and fell I managed to grab him though as you probably saw" Harry said slightly shaken.  
"Yeah we did, is he ok?"  
"yeah broken arm I think"

"At least it wasn't you, I'll catch you later" Draco hurried back up the steps. Drew, one if the chasers came up to Harry and half whispered to him.  
"I didn't know you were gay"  
"didn't think it would matter." Harry said quite abruptly  
"no it doesn't, but watch out for tony, he despises gays" Drew said cautiously  
"right I'll note that down" he answered anxiously  
"come on," Drew patted Harry on the back. "The whole team are going out for drinks" drew pulled Harry up the stairs following all the others.

It was gone 3am when Draco was woken by a knocking on the door of Grimmauld place, he opened it with his wand raised, Harry collapsed onto him, his face covered in sweat and he was so pale he looked half dead. Draco stared at him; he was still wearing his hank glasses,  
"Mother! Andromeda!" Draco called "help me!" Draco cradled Harry in his arms. Narcissa and Andromeda came racing down the stairs and along the corridor to the door; they both gasped with horrified looks on their faces "what's wrong with him?" Draco pleaded  
"I don't know, let's get him upstairs, you contact an emergency healer" Andromeda ordered. Draco ran for the Floo and the two women apparated to Harry's room. Minutes later two healers were covering Harry in blankets who had begun to sweat and shake violently, they tried to keep him as warm as possible but his lips were blue.  
"what's wrong with him?" Draco asked  
"has he been holding up any enchantments for a long period of time recently?" the taller healer asked.  
"well he has been wearing a glamour all day" Draco said  
"where was he when this happened?"  
"well he went out with some friends and he's just come back"  
"he is suffering from extreme exhaustion, he should have been resting today, he shouldn't have been wearing that glamour, you do realise that?" The healer looked sternly at Draco who nodded.

"He wasn't to know! Anyway Harry chose to pl- to go out today, not Draco" Andromeda fired back at the Healer who looked quite offended.

The healer shook his head and continued "the exhaustion has caused him to lose control of his body temperature and he could start fitting anytime soon, because of his previous operation this is going to be more difficult than usual, we will need an hour to stabilize him please"  
"yes of course" Narcissa said shakily as he and his mother left the room swiftly followed by Andromeda.

They walked downstairs in silence and the two women sat down on the sofas while Draco paced around the room, frantically walking from the fireplace across to the window and back again occasionally looping round the sofas.

"Draco sit down, he's going to be fine, they are professionals" His mother took his hand as he passed her looking at him pleadingly.

"But mother, it was my fault; I didn't talk him out of that match well enough!" Draco was red in the face and his pace was becoming more vicious.

"No sweetheart, none of it was your fault, Harry is just exhausted plus you couldn't have known about the seeker, I'm sure that took a lot out of him."

Draco shook his head in disagreement but reluctantly sat down next to her. "But I still could have done something!"

"Like what?" Andromeda said from across the room "come on, don't beat yourself up about it!" Narcissa put her arm around Draco's shoulders.

"I'll go make some tea" Narcissa whispered. Draco slumped back into the chair and closed his eyes. He must have fallen asleep because when he opened his eyes light was streaming in through the window. He stood up and made his way into the kitchen. Around the breakfast table stood Ron, Hermione, Andromeda, Teddy and Narcissa.

"What time is it?" Draco moaned and rubbed his eyes.

"10 am, you fell asleep when I came back with the tea so I left you to rest." Narcissa smiled warmly and handed him a mug of hot chocolate.

"Thanks, is he awake yet?" Draco asked, Hermione shook her head.

"He should be soon though; the sleep potion must have nearly worn off now"

"I'll go sit with him" Draco turned silently and walked out of the kitchen, following the familiar corridors up the stairs to Harry's room.

The group watched him go and Ron shuddered.

"What?" Hermione asked sharply

"Nothing, it's just, him, and, Harry. Still makes me cringe, you know" Ron said quietly

"No I don't know! They love each other and should be entitled to that. Don't be such a prick Ronald!" Hermione screwed up her face and turned her back on him. Ron looked to Andromeda but she shrugged as if to say "you brought that on yourself".

Harry lay underneath a dozen blankets fast asleep. Draco crept into the room and quietly picked up the chair that sat in the corner of the room, bringing it to the side of Harry's bed. He put the mug of warm liquid to his mouth and sipped it silently, the mug clenched tightly in his hand. When he had finished he placed it on the side table and rested his elbows on his knees and looked out the window at the sky, drifting in and out of light sleep.

After about 15 minutes Draco heard Harry's breathing lighten. He looked down at him and watched his face as he woke up. The dark haired wizard opened his eyes reluctantly and smiled to see Draco peering down at him.

"We have to stop meeting like this" Harry croaked "this is what, the third time you've sat there!" Harry laughed and took Draco's hand.

"Yeah, pretty much. The past two have been less tense; the worst was when Sirius decided I was lunch!" They both laughed

"Sorry if I scared you" Harry said quite seriously

"Yeah that's the what, 5th? 6th, no 8th time you have scared me to death!"

"I doubt its 8!" Harry laughed

Draco nodded furiously "when you fought the horntail, then when you were in the maze for ages and came out with a dead Cedric, when you went to the department of mysteries to try and fight the deatheaters, when you turned up at Malfoy Manor that time you were caught by snatchers. The when everyone thought you were dead at the battle of Hogwarts, the operation, at the Quiditch yesterday and last night!"

"That's 9" Harry said quietly

"Exactly, it's your turn now!" Harry laughed and patted the bed next to him encouraging Draco to sit next to him. Draco lay down facing Harry, wrapping his arms around him. "So" He whispered "what happened?"

"Well after you left the locker rooms one of the players spoke to me and said that he didn't know I was gay and to watch out because another of the players is homophobic"

"What? Really" the blonde's eyes were wide with shock "gits" he muttered "sorry continue"

"Yeah, anyway, as a celebration for my 'heroic efforts'" Harry rolled his eyes causing Draco to smirk "the whole team went out for a drink, the thing I didn't realise by a celebration they meant that they were going to a strip club"

"Whoa! What?" Draco was laughing uncontrollably.

"Apparently its traditional" this made Draco laugh even more. "Shut up! I haven't finished! Well when I wouldn't go 'upstairs' with this girl, Tony, the homophobic one, you know, got really uptight saying that he had paid for everything and I was being ungrateful. He kept asking why I wouldn't go. Then he goes and starts shouting 'you're a virgin ain't ya'!'

"Ha! Hardly! Draco burst out; Harry shot him a look "sorry, carry on"

"I told him, I wasn't but he kept pestering me until I cracked and yelled out I was gay and that's why I couldn't. Then. He punched me in the face, as you can probably tell" Harry pointed to the black bruise under his eye. "I wasn't expecting it and he is bloody strong, that's what you get being a beater. He grabbed me by my shirt and shoved me against the wall, hence the back of my head" Draco remembered to when Harry got back, the blood that had covered the hand he held Harry's head with. "I managed to regain my balance and gave him one back, im just so sick of people beating the crap out of me. This made him mad like no other, he clenched my wrist and shoved me onto my knees, I think my wrist is broken" Draco nodded "great, he then kicked me in the stomach. When I woke up I was outside the club, without my glamour..." the colour drained from Draco's face "I got up and managed to apparate to the steps of Grimmauld place, as soon as you opened the door I blacked out"

Draco just lay there for a moment "that's awful, are you going to go and see them?"

"Who can I see? I'll talk to the manager of course and the others will back me up"

"I dunno Harry, they just left you, what do you think?" Draco looked at Harry waiting for an answer

"But they wouldn't do that would they?" Harry said quite confused looking.

"You'd be surprised what people o to guys like us Harry" Draco whispered and kissed Harry's hand he'd been holding for the whole story.

"What even kick me off the team?" Harry sat bolt upright.

"I'm not sure but let's hope not" He pulled Harry back down and they lay, looking into each other's eyes. Draco kissed him gently and put his hand on Harry's face. Harry grimaced from the pain.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Draco gasped stoking Harry's cheek and brushing the hair from his eyes. "You need sleep, I'll come back later"

"Stay till im asleep?" Harry pleaded Draco nodded and watched unconsciousness take Harry from him.

OooOOOo

Harry woke to realise that Draco had gone. He got up, pulling on a hoodie over his pyjamas and went down to the living room. Everyone seemed to be there, Ron, Hermione, Molly Andromeda, Luna, Teddy, Ginny and George only minusing Draco and his mother.

"Hey" Hermione said quietly as he came in. Everyone turned to look at the black and blue wizard stood in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"

"Shit" Harry said bluntly and sat down next to Luna on one of the sofas.

"Oh, Harry dear, you need to wear that sling by your bedside, surely Draco told you that" Harry shook his head motionlessly "I'll just go get it" Molly bustled out the room.

"Okay, what the hell else is wrong with me?" Harry almost shouted

"You dislocated your shoulder, and broke your collar bone opening an old wound on your back" Andromeda spoke quietly

"Ugh fuck my life" He moaned. Molly came back and put the sling on Harry's arm the handed him a mug of coffee. He had to take it with his left hand as his right was in the sling.

"Draco told us what happened, how awful!" Hermione looked like she'd just been sick.

"Fucking gits don't worry mate they won't be after you after mums through with them" Ron said reassuringly. He stood up and walked out the room heading for the kitchen and slapping Harry on the back on the way past, then realising. "Sorry Harry, forgot"

"'s okay" Harry slurred and slumped back in the seat. "I need painkillers!" he shouted.

"What?" Everyone said, bar Hermione.

"It's a muggle thing, a pill, which relives pain" they all nodded understandingly.

"I'll go, be back in a moment" Hermione stood up and headed off through the Floo.

"Thanks" Harry winced and closed his eyes.

"How about you go back to bed and we'll get Hermione to bring them up to you?" Molly steadied Harry as he got up.

"Thanks" harry said again in a toneless voice. He walked slowly upstairs clinging onto everything so not to collapse in a heap. He go to the top of his stairs and hobbled through the open door, pulling off his hoodie and clambering into bed, wincing with every other move at the pain that swept over his body.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Hermione crept in with a glass of water and some tablets.

"Here you go" she said softly

"Thanks" Harry sat up and took them from her. Hermione sat on the chair next to the bed and waited for Harry to take them. He handed her the glass that she put down on the side table.

"You've got to be more careful Harry; you're going to really hurt yourself one day."

"I know, I am trying"

"I know, I just worry because I've known you since we were eleven and we've been through so much I guess I just don't want to lose you, no of us do" She spoke, her voice shaking slightly.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere so stop worrying, you're as bad as Draco"

Hermione smiled slightly "you don't realise how much he loves you sometimes. I'll let you sleep, see you later" she hugged him and stood up.

"Bye, oh, Hermione!" Harry called

"Yeah?" she turned back to look at him.

"Thanks"

"You're welcome" She closed the door quietly, Harry listened as she walked down the hall as listened as her footsteps faded. Harry lay there thinking. Hermione had seemed quite distracted and maybe slightly annoyed. He shrugged and thought nothing of it. The drugs kicked in quickly and he found it easy to slip into sleep.

He woke to the too familiar pain and groaned. Deciding that lying still was too boring, he went downstairs to see who was still here. He wandered round all the rooms but found no-one. Harry sat down in the living room and picked up a copy of the Prophet that was lying on the table, it looked as if it had been thrown. Harry's eyes widened as he saw the front page. The title of the article changed from 'Hank Black' to 'Hank Potter' then to 'Harry Potter'.

"Shit" He muttered under his breath. That's why the team had left him, when he was knocked unconscious his glamour would have fallen.

The article described Harry as a fraud and contained comments given by the team. Harry slowly forced himself through the comments the people who he had thought of as friends had issued about him and tried to remind himself that Skiter will have exaggerated all of them. However they were all nasty, offensive comments bordering on the absurd. One even said that Voldemorts death had been a fix and that Harry is a deatheater so shagging another deatheater wouldn't be a problem for him. Even Drew had commented on the whole ordeal. Harry stared at the paper in front of him with a picture of him laying unconscious with comments like 'well deserved' and 'long overdue' floating across it. A silent tear rolled down his face as he just sat there, staring.

"Hey, how you feeling" Draco's voice came from the door behind him. Harry turned to look up at him. "Hey what's wrong?" Draco sat next to Harry and hugged him; Harry rested his head on Draco's chest. Draco looked down at the prophet in Harry's lap.

"Have you seen it?" Harry croaked

"Yeah, I've seen it, I'm so sorry" Draco pulled him closer and tried to calm him.

"Why would they do that? What more do they want from me, why can't they just piss off and leave me alone?"

"I don't know, don't worry, Kingsley is on it."

"How's that going to help? Everyone has already seen it!" he half shouted half yelped.

"I know but if he can get the Prophet to issue another article"

"That's not going to help, this is exactly like in 5th year" Harry thought back to when the prophet had called him a liar and had written loads of lies about him and Dumbledore.

"I know but we will get through this, I promise, more people support you than believe what Rita Shitface writes"

"I find that hard to believe" Harry muttered

"I don't, cus it's true" They embraced each other and sat there in silence for a moment. "I'll go and get some cheer-me-up hot chocolate" Draco picked up the Prophet and went into the kitchen and placed it on the table. He took out two mugs and put some water in the kettle to boil then scooted around the kitchen for the cocoa powder. He poured two mugs of steaming chocolate and just before he left he took out his wand and muttered "Incendio" The Prophet immediately caught alight and started burning.

When he came back into the lounge Harry was wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Draco handed him his glasses, then one of the mugs.

"Here you go"

"Thanks" Harry tried as much of a smile as he could manage but it quickly faded.

"I think you should cut your hair" Draco said bluntly looking at the long ponytail at the back of Harry's head.

"What! Why?" He shrieked in reply

"Too much like Hank I think, you need to start again if this appeal is going to work" Draco sipped from his mug

"Appeal?"

"Yeah to get this article disproved or lightened, Kingsley Flooed me before I saw you when I got here"

"Oh right, you gotta explain yourself better, what am I supposed to say? When is it?"

"It's on Monday so we've got to get prepared"

"Blimey that's close"

"Well Kinglsey has already got a team out to arrest the team members that commented to question them on the assault"

"What? I'm sure they didn't mean it"

Draco just stared at Harry "Harry they beat you to a pulp and left you, I think they meant it. You've gotta stop trying to cover up for people and don't be as nice. It's always the good people that get hurt the most"

Harry nodded but said nothing. "Come on, in the kitchen, I'm going to cut your hair" Draco gestured for Harry to follow him

"In your dreams! I'm going to a barbers" he stood up and headed for the front door

"Yeah and who's gunna let you in Harry?"

"Fine. If it goes wrong on your head be it." Harry sulked

"Fine by me!" He stretched out a hand to Harry and led him into the kitchen.

"Done." Draco finally said. Harry looked nervously into the mirror Draco was holding.

"Wow it looks great, I didn't know you could do hair!"

"Neither did I, this is my first time" Draco smiled proudly

"you see, im so glad you told me that afterwards otherwise there would have been no way I would have let you anywhere near my hair!"

"Nawh, you know I would never mess it up"

Harry sighed "it looks good though"

"It does doesn't it, this is how I like it the most"

"You are such a Slytherin, so selfish"

Draco bowed "that's me!" Harry turned his head and kissed him. "Andromeda and Teddy won't be home for a while" Draco whispered.

"Is that a hint?" Draco raised his eyebrows and Harry pulled him by his shirt up the kitchen steps and they apparated upstairs.

oOOOOooOo

Harry sat at the kitchen table with his head flat on the wooden top. "This is never going to work, they won't believe me!" he moaned

"Come on Harry have some faith!" Hermione urged him. Draco was sat across the table with Andromeda. Hermione was sat next to Harry with a notebook. "We are trying to help you!"

"I know but you can't help, no one can, im completely doomed, we will lose the appeal then the Prophet will write loads more shit and I will go live in a cave in Norway" Harry grumbled. Draco laughed

"Sorry, just thinking what Charlie said to me, I see what he means about your self pity tantrums"

"I don't have self pity tantrums!" Harry shouted and stormed out the kitchen. "Wait for it" Draco said "wait for it" there was a loud crash and a surge of magic swept the kitchen "there we go" Hermione shook her head

"I've got to be off, good luck calming him down"

"I'll be back in a moment" Draco said

"Don't go up, leave him for a bit" Andromeda said sadly

"I'm not, don't worry I'll be back soon"

Draco disapperated out of the kitchen and apparated outside the Dragon Camp. He walked up the snowy path that led up to the huts. He got to the top and saw Charlie coming out of the far one.

"Charlie!" Draco called. The red haired wizard jogged over to him looking worried.

"Hey, what's up?" Charlie asked looking incredible puzzled.

"How did you deal with Harry's uncontrollable outbursts?" Draco asked

"Oh" Charlie looked slightly worried but also like he was going to laugh. "I thought we had got rid of those"

"Well have you seen the Prophet?"

"No, it's in my cabin, is it bad?" he asked, wincing slightly for the answer.

"Take a look for yourself" they walked up to Charlie's cabin and Draco stood waiting for a response as he read it.

"This is bullshit!" Charlie was red in the face "no wonder he's flipped out!"

"So can you come calm him down for me, I don't know what to do" Draco pleaded.

"You want me, to come there? Isn't that going to be real awkward?"

"No, all that is settled, I only care about his safety now, and if that means you having to come back to England then so be it"

"Right, err, okay, let me just go clear two days with the guys" Charlie jogged off towards the centre of the camp.

Draco stood up as he saw him coming back. "That's all fine. Two days and I have to be back."

"Right, let's go then" they disapperated out of the freezing camp and back into the warm kitchen of Grimmauld place.

"Hello Charlie, it's nice to see you, what brings you here?" Andromeda asked as there was a loud crash above her. Charlie pointed to the ceiling. "Ah, well you go sort him out" the two men walked cautiously up the stairs to where the noise was coming from.

"Harry?" Charlie asked as he opened the door carefully into one of the drawing rooms on the second floor.

"Charlie? What the hell are you doing here?" Harry panted.

"I've come to talk some sense into you and to get you to stop destroying your house" Harry looked behind Charlie at Draco who nodded approvingly.

"Well you've wasted your time as there is nothing wrong with me!" harry shouted. Charlie just held his hands out to the demolished room.

"Seems like nothing, this a normal day is it grumps?"

"Argh just fuck off Charlie!" Harry stormed out, Draco looked quite shocked.

"Don't worry, it always starts like this. It gets better, as in 'it gets worse'." Charlie followed Harry out the room.

"Charlie, stop following me for Merlin's sake, piss off! I'm fine, I don't need you!" Harry threw a spell behind him which Charlie glided out the way from and Draco leapt out of its path. But Charlie kept following him, saying nothing, just jumping out of the way of curses and hexes that were cast in his direction. Harry just kept shouting, each run of abuse growing less vicious and quieter until he stopped and slid down the wall and lay on the floor in a crumpled mess. Charlie sat cross legged next to him and started whispering to him. Draco stood out of listening distance, he had a funny feeling he didn't want to hear what the red-head was saying, even if it was harmless.

It was a good half an hour before Charlie stood up and walked toward Draco.

"Is that it?" Draco asked half relived half amazed.

"Yeah, trust me they used to last for days but in the end they all ended up like this" Charlie gestured to Harry who was sat with his head in his hands.

"Thanks, guess you won't be needed those two days unless you want to stay for the appeal?"

"Well, let's ask Harry later, I'll go and reassure Andromeda that no more of her home is going to be destroyed." Charlie patted Draco on the back and headed downstairs. Draco walked toward Harry and sat down next to him leaning against the wall.

"Sorry, I just didn't want you to hurt yourself and he was the only one who I could think of who knew how to calm you down."

"'s ok, I'm sorry Draco, sometimes it just gets too much"

"I know, we don't have to do this appeal it is completely your decision"

"No, I want to" Harry took his head out of his hands

"Good, come on then" Draco went to stand up but Harry grabbed him and kissed him

"Thank you, come on this isn't going to prepare itself" Harry stood up and Draco laughed shaking his head.

It was nearly eleven in the evening before they had finished for the appeal the next day. "Right, done." Hermione said and put her quill back in the pot. Harry smiled weakly. "Well, I better be off, I'll see you tomorrow." She stood up "it'll be alright Harry, you'll see"

"Ah, Charlie follow me I will show you to your room" Andromeda spoke.

"Thank you. Night!" he called to Harry and Draco

"Come on, I've gotta go, so you get some sleep okay?" Draco told Harry quite firmly.

"Draco? Stay tonight" Harry asked "please?"

"Okay, let me just Floo my mother first" Draco smiled and disappeared into the lounge. Harry wearily hobbled up the stairs and waited for Draco.

They lay in Harry's double bed facing each other in silence.

"Why didn't you ask about Charlie earlier?" Harry asked

"What about him"

"About what he said to me" Harry avoided Draco's eye.

"Didn't think I needed to, I trust you" a smile crept over Harry's face and his eyes flashed up to Draco's. Draco laughed lightly "you make me laugh sometimes" and with that they slept, their bodies keeping the other warm.

OOoOOOOo

"Good morning!" Andromeda said brightly as Harry, Draco and Charlie appeared in the kitchen. She placed a fry-up in front of all three and tidied them up. "Well kingsley says he will meet you outside the court room as he needs to tell you something, he didn't say what though. Hurry up, you have half an hour to get there he wants you there half an hour earlier" All three pairs of eyes widened and they shovelled down their breakfast and legged it to the Floo.

They shot out of one of the ministry fireplaces and were swamped by the press. Draco nodded to Charlie and they stood around Harry and walked briskly keeping one hand on his shoulder. They managed to ram themselves into a lift without reporters. "You're alright now Harry" Charlie said as Harry hadn't said anything since they had got there. The lift opened onto a corridor and Kingsley was waiting for them.

"Good morning gentlemen, there's been a development. This is now a court hearing"

"What!" Draco shouted

"Shh, lower your voices. They arrested three of the team members and want to trial them today and merge it with the appeal"

"This is appalling! We haven't prepared for a hearing!" Draco shouted a whisper.

"I know, I apologise but if we back out now they immediately win the case as the Wizengamot don't want to do two trials for this situation even with all the" Kingsley paused "persuasion I have offered" he spoke cautiously. "They will want you in there any second now, please follow me"

"It's going to be okay, we will work something out you'll see I-" Draco spluttered to Harry

"Draco?" Charlie said calmly

"Yeah?" He said quickly

"Not helping"

Draco looked at Harry who looked like he was going to be sick. "Oh, sorry" they followed the Minister in silence into the court room.

Harry sat on one side of the tiered court rooms with Draco to one side and Charlie the other. Hermione, Molly and the defence for their side sat behind them. On the opposite side of the room were the Cannons and members of the Prophet. Harry swallowed nervously, Draco gave him a reassuring smile then returned to looking straight ahead at the Wizengamot who were filing into the room through the side doors. A tall man who was sat just behind Kingsley stood up and talked for 10 minutes about why they were there, explaining the issues of both sides. When he sat down the speaker for the Prophet stood up. He was a short man, Harry recognised him from various occasions.

"This man!" he pointed at Harry who was quite satisfied he hadn't called him a boy. "Deserves the dementor's kiss!"

"Your reasons" the tall man said.

"Well for one the murder of Cedric Diggory in 1995" Kingsley cut him off

"Harry Potter did not kill Cedric Diggory, it was Lord Voldemort"

"He tell you that did 'e? He's a deatheater! Always has been! He faked you-know-who's death and is still serving him through fraud and corruption!" Draco shifted angrily in his seat, Harry placed one hand on Draco's signalling him to stay quiet. Members of the court wrote notes with long slender black quills.

"Harry Potter, please give your perception on the matter" The tall wizard said. Harry paused before slowly standing up to address the room.

"Erm, well, hello. Erm, well I'd like to start by clearing that I am not and never have been a deatheater, I killed Voldemort"

"You like that part don't you? The fame and glory! The boy who stopped the dark lord! There are no reporters to glorify you now Potter!" A voice shouted

"Show us your arm then!" another voice shouted. Harry pulled up his sleeve to reveal nothing. Point one proved. There were a few more shouts among the sarcastic comments.

"Order!" Kingsley's voice boomed across the court. There was silence and Harry continued.

"Secondly, the only reason I used that glamour to play Quiditch was so that people could admire my flying rather than because I was Harry Potter." More voices cut him off.

"More like you couldn't get enough! One famous life not enough for you!"

"No, you don't understand, I don't want to be Harry Potter, I just want a normal life!" Harry tried to hear his voice over them.

"Yes of course" the voice continued "course you do! You're a liar Potter! A fucking gay frauded liar!" the rest jeered in agreement. Harry just stood, swamped by the mocking.

"SILENCE!" Kingsley yelled. Everyone stopped and took their seats.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened that night at the club? He!" Harry pointed to Tony "beat me senseless because I told him I was gay, I wasn't drunk or out of order, I was just trying to be normal!"

"Yeah 'cus normal people are on a professional Quiditch team! Lets add fame-seeking and self obsessed to the list shall we?"

Harry whispered to Draco "I can't, whatever I say makes it worse" he sat down

"Given up have you? Finally accepted the truth!" they shouted

"SHUT-UP all of you" Draco stood up abruptly

"Need help from your boyfriend Potter?"

"Yeah he does, you know why?" Draco asked

No one spoke. They just stared at the blonde wizard stood alone, straight and confident.

"Because ever since he walked through Hogwarts' doors for the first time you were there, on his back for you own benefit. Not giving a shit about how it affected an eleven year old kid raised by muggles, the worst family in existence. I bet you didn't know he was treated like a house elf and slept in a cupboard under the stairs?" the opposite side looked quite shocked at this speech, Kingsley looked proud. "Did you not think he had lost enough? When, in the Triwizard Tournament he had the decency to bring back the body of his best friend who he had watched being slaughtered before his eyes, you accused him of lying? It makes me sick. And then, when he is being tortured daily by Dolores Umbridge and his godfather is killed before his eyes you call him a danger to society and a liar?" Draco paused still they said nothing no snarky comments nothing.

"You give him hell through his school life when you could have been equally successful talking about the good he does. Then you have the audacity to carry it on after the war, after he has seen so much and is going through the worst part of his life, almost everyone he could call family dead. Yes me and Harry did see each other in school, yes I did obliviate him but to protect him, because I love him, not to shame him like you have" there were some quite murmurs but no shouts amongst them. "But he has retrieved these memories and went through an excruciating process to keep them, and yes we are now seeing each other now and guess what? There is nothing you can do to change, humiliate or affect us and if you dare, no if you even think about causing him any more pain we" he gestured to his side "will come and hunt you down, seek you out and tear you apart, limb by limb, just keep that in mind" Draco sat down. No-one said anything. No-one had spoken since Draco had started talking. Then everyone turned to the person who had stood up; it was Drew.

"Harry, I'm so sorry, I didn't know" Harry nodded but quickly looked away. One of the guards sat either side of Drew pulled him back down to his seat. Harry had realised that the three team members the ministry had arrested were Tony, Pete (a chaser) and Drew. Draco had worked it out too and took Harry's hand.

The tall wizard of the Wizengamot stood up "well err thank you for those engaging speeches. Mr Potter we need to know who attacked you on Friday 7th of January"

"Well I only know of Tony, who initially started it. I don't know after I blacked out"

"Thank you. We have here three members of the Chudley Cannons who we have evidence to provide that they were involved in the assault. We have information that it was Tony Westfarough who initially started it, closely followed by Peter Bailey and joined by Drew Creaville." Drew avoided Harry's gaze who looked away quickly, Draco squeezed his hand, Harry smiled slightly back at him. "I have just received the information that there will be a separate trial for the assault on Mr Harry Potter" Harry looked up quickly relieved. "The three suspects can be taken back to their cells" Harry watched as the three players were escorted out "on the matter of the article written by the Prophet which displays unfair and inaccurate accusing actions of Mr. Potter. I will consult with the rest of the court. We will return shortly." The tall wizard walked out followed by the jury. A row of guards formed a line down the middle of the room to prevent a fight from occurring.

"That Judge-jury guy isn't very formal is he?" Harry asked in amazement.

"Yeah, this isn't a serious case, well it is, but you know what I mean, so they don't try very hard, they've already made their decision" Draco replied dryly.

"Really?" Harry's eyes widened. This made Draco smile

"Ha-ha you are so dense, of course they have"

"Thank you for saving my ass out there, I thought I was gunna explode!"

"So did I, told you I'd be there all the way didn't I?" Draco beamed at Harry who laughed and they waited while the jury filed back in, lastly followed by Kingsley and the tall wizard.

"We have made our decision. The articles written by the Prophet about Mr Potter in the past nine years have been variable. However they have become more controversial and offensive as the years have gone on. Recently they have become extremely out of order and so for this all of the Prophet's journalists will be relieved from their posts" a smile of relief covered Harry's face and a gasp rippled through the prophet team. "Also a front page apology will go out tomorrow for Mr Harry Potter and all accusations will be withdrawn. Also Mr Potter will receive a fine for the fake identity of Hank Black. Thank you for your time, you may leave."

Everyone in the court room stood up, Harry side considerably happier than the Prophet. When they got out into the corridor there was a sigh of relief from everyone.

"Well that went better than I anticipated" Harry said, trying to smile.

"Be glad it's only a fine and not Azkaban" Draco tried to laugh but I came out as a croak as they were all pretty shaken up by the whole thing.

"Yeah" was all Harry managed as a reply, he was still thinking about the fact that Drew was the one who had decided to leave him

They were walking out of the lift towards the Floo when they saw Kingsley walking calmly, as always, towards them.

"I think that went quite well don't you?" He asked cheerfully smiling. "Harry, I can deal with the fine for you, so don't worry about that and I will keep you informed on the trial for the assault, but for now I think you better get home" Kingsley smiled and bid them farewell. Draco put his arm around Harry's shoulders and steered him toward the Floo.

After dinner Harry had cheered up a considerable amount and He, Charlie, Draco and Andromeda were sitting in the lounge playing two aside wizard chess. Charlie had paired with Draco and Harry with Andromeda as he and Charlie were the best.

"Okay erm knight to B2" Draco cocked his head to one side.

"Draco you can't move him to there!" Harry laughed

"Why not? It's free!"

"That's not the point! One you would be going backwards and two whichever way you move him has to make an L-shape" Harry sat there with his head in his palm "we are never gunna be able to teach you this"

Draco stuck his tongue out at Harry "I'm going to get a beer anyone else want one?"

Harry nodded and Charlie looked up "please" he said

"Just a cup of tea for me please" Andromeda smiled and then dropped her gaze to the board in front of her.

After several games Draco had managed to conquer how the Knights and the Bishops moved but not much else.

"Did you seriously not play Chess ever at school?" Harry asked as they walked up the stairs after everyone had retreated to their rooms.

"No, we were too 'above' common games like that" He laughed at how obnoxious and cocky he used to be.

Harry opened the door to his room and they sat on the bed talking. "Draco?"

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering, well, I dunno if you wanted to, well, cus you're here a lot, maybe you err wanted to move in with me?" harry stumbled. A smile crept over the blonde's face and he looked up at Harry.

"Okay" he whispered

"Really!" Harry's green eyes lit with excitement

Draco nodded and Harry hugged him tightly. "I was gunna say we need to move your stuff over but most of it is here already!"

"Yeah but you wear most of it" Draco said as he looked at the T-shirt Harry had just pulled on to sleep in.

Harry shrugged "makes me feel safe"

The next morning, to Harry's delight the Prophet had issued an article apologising for the controversial ideas about him written by their previous journalists and it cleared everything that were written about him which were not true. Even though all the lies were gone Harry was still pissed off that he had yet again made the front page. The last thing to sort out was the hearing with the Cannons. Kingsley Flooed them that morning informing them that the hearing was going to take place the next day and they began to prepare straight away.

Harry and Draco walked into the court room, a smaller one than last time, closely followed by Charlie, Molly and Hermione. Just across from them were Tony and Pete both glaring at Harry, eyes like daggers. Next to them looking dreadful, eyes fixed to the floor were Drew. His face was pale and his eyes looked swollen and sleep deprived, there were slash marks all the way up his arms. Kinglsey had told them that the night after the first trial he had tried to kill himself by slitting his arms with a piece of metal he had found in his holding cell, the healers got to him just in time.

"He looks worse than you did after the Slytherins got you!" Harry whispered to Draco.

"Today, we are here to witness the trial of Peter Bailey, Tony Westfarough and Drew Creaville who are all accused of the assault on Harry James Potter, hank black at the time of the assault. Peter Bailey what do you pleade?" the tall wizard said.

"Not. Guilty" He stood with a smug look on his face which was almost a smile looking straight into Harry's eyes. Harry tensed up and looked away.

"Tony Westfarough what do you pleade?"

"Not sure, I'd quite like a Butterbeer" he said sarcastically

"Do not play with my patience sir, it is growing very short. Inability to answer questions may result in full charges"

"Not guilty" He said and looked quite annoyed that his fun had been banned.

"And Drew Creaville, what do you pleade?"

"Guilty" Drew didn't lift his head.

"Do you accept the charges on the assault and abandonment on Harry James Potter?"

"Yes"

"Drew Creaville you will serve a sixth month sentence in Azkaban" Drew was escorted out, Harry watched him walk out the turned his attention back to the other two.

The trial continued for another hour, the two lawyers providing their clients side of events. The jury then filed out to discuss the verdict. When they re-entered, the room fell silent, only the noise of chairs moving could be heard.

"According to the evidence presented today and the words of Drew Creaville under Veritaserum, Tony Westfarough will receive a years sentence in Azkaban prison as will Peter Bailey. Thank you for your time, court dismissed."

Harry stayed perfectly still until he felt Draco pull on his sleeve.

"come lets go home"


	5. Forever isn't long enough

Chapter 5

It had been nearly three months since the trial and Harry and Draco had been lying low in Harry's Devon cottage for a while. On George's birthday they had met everyone at the Burrow for a meal, but even though Fred had died just under two years ago George still wasn't happy with the concept of having his, their, birthday without him. Other than that nothing had really happened in their lives. They were in the kitchen, Harry attempting to teach Draco how to make pancakes the muggle way.

"No, you don't need to attack the eggs just mix them" Harry laughed

"You said beat the eggs!" Draco said slightly red faced

"It's a figure of speech"

"Muggles are weird"

"Yep, keep mixing" Harry said trying to keep a straight face as he poured milk in a bit at a time.

"This looks gross, can I just use magic?" the blonde moaned.

"No you can't, this is really easy just concentrate otherwise-"Harry was cut off as the batter splattered over the both of them. "You'll get it everywhere" Harry finished.

"Whoops" Draco muttered and looked at harry apologetically who just burst out laughing. Harry made the rest of the batter and poured some of it into a pan.

"This is the best bit" He said and flipped the pancake perfectly. Draco watched in amazement. "Your go" Harry handed Draco the frying pan and stood behind him and guided Draco's hands. "On three flip the pancake yeah?" Draco nodded "one, two...three" the pancake flew up in the air and they had to run slightly to re-catch it. Harry slid the pancake onto a plate and made another one which he threw in the air and it landed perfectly on the plate Draco was holding.

"Show off" Draco said bluntly, Harry winked. They sat down at the breakfast bar and ate the pancakes, smothering them in chocolate. Harry put his finger in the chocolate spread and drew a line on Draco's face who retaliated immediately smearing chocolate on Harry who grabbed the jar and leapt off the chair into the middle of the kitchen Draco following him just as quickly. Harry went to slop a big blob of chocolate on Draco who grabbed his wrist and held it out of reach of his hair and reached to the jar with his other hand. They wrestled to the floor until they realised that they had used the whole jar so just lay there laughing. Draco's hair was highlighted brown, he propped himself up on his elbows over Harry and licked some chocolate of his forehead. "Can't let it go to waste!" He smiled and raised his eyebrows.

Draco sat down and sighed "owh, look at my hair!"

"Is that all you think about?" Harry rolled his eyes and laughed.

"No, but it takes up most of the time unlike yours, it looks like you've gone through a bush backwards"

"No it doesn't! It looks funny and any way that's usually your fault!" Draco just laughed.

"I'm going to have a shower, coming?" Harry nodded and drank the remainder of his orange juice before following Draco up the stairs.

That afternoon they sat on the floor in the lounge eating a picnic lunch as it was raining outside.

"Wow, haven't had one of these since fifth year!" Draco exclaimed.

"What?" Harry looked at Draco questioningly.

"You know, when Dobby used to bring food down for us from the kitchens after supper?"

"No, I don't remember any of that! Are you sure it wasn't just some funny dream?" Harry laughed, but then frowned as he saw the look on Draco's face.

"Harry" Draco put his hands on Harry's shoulders. "Please tell me you remember that, don't play games like this it's not funny"

"Why would I play games on this subject? I honestly do not remember any of that!" Draco shifted back onto his knees and stood up.

"We are going to McCain now" he held out his hand to Harry.

"Draco why, it's just a little mem-"

"No Harry, we had those at least once a month, this is not just a little thing! I am not going to lose you twice!" They used the Floo network straight to the healer's office. They sat in the two leather chairs opposite her desk. Draco explained the situation.

"Hmm, I was afraid this may happen" she looked down at her notes.

"What! You knew and didn't tell us!" Draco yelled.

"Draco calm down, if you just list-"

"Calm down? How can you expect me to be calm? That operation was for what! Harry went through all of that for what! Just to lose it all again!" Draco stood up red faced. Harry held Draco's hand between his own.

"Draco, its fine we can fix it" Reluctantly the blonde resumed a sitting position.

"Well we knew there was a possibility of some effects, what they would be we weren't entirely sure" McCain took a file off the shelf. "There is the option of memory grafting"

"Memory what?" the two said in sync.

"Well in your case Draco's memories will be fed back to you through a memory charm. You would be in a trance so the memories won't damage your memory fabric"

"Well lest do that then, when shall we do it?" Harry said eagerly.

"Well we cannot start until I have examined your memory fabric. Also we will have to brew the trance potion you will need to take. We can do the examination now if you want" Harry nodded and she led them into a neighbouring room, Draco trailing along slowly behind them.

Harry sat down and McCain spoke the incantation. The blue ring formed around Harry's head. There were hardly any holes but the whole thing gave an occasional twitch and a pin sized hole appeared in the fabric. Healer McCain gasped "Harry... your memories. They're disappearing. Only seconds at a time but every twitch is a fragment lost" She frowned and stared hard at the blue ring.

"When did this begin?" Harry asked quietly.

"Oh I think whatever is causing this has been eating away at your memories for a long time now" All three of them sat looking up at the blue oval that hovered so innocently above Harry.

McCain had told them to try and talk about memories every day, to try and decipher how much was already lost. Harry and Draco were sat on the sofa at Grimmauld Place facing each other.

"Harry, do you remember our first kiss?"

"Of course I do! We were in the locker room office and I was sat on the desk an-" Harry looked up to look at Draco as he had frozen, white as a sheet. "What?" He asked cautiously

"Harry" Draco croaked "that wasn't our first kiss"

"What, yes it was, it was three weeks after the imperious session"

Draco bowed his head and brought Harry's hands up to his face and rested his chin on them. "No," Draco was almost whispering "our first kiss was on the last imperious session against the lockers"

"but-" Harry's eyes were panic stricken and sad.

"Shh" Draco embraced Harry who began to cry. "We'll get through this. I know we will ok?" Harry nodded as silent tears coated both of their faces.

"I want to go to Hogwarts" Harry finally mumbled.

"Yeah that sounds good" Draco apparated both of them upstairs and lay down under the covers.

"Draco"

"Shh, sleep now, talk tomorrow" Harry closed his eyes and rested his head on Draco's chest, Draco watched him, brushing the raven hair from Harry's forehead and carefully taking his glasses off. He kissed the top of Harry's head and whispered "I love you"

OOooOoOoO

Harry awoke to find Draco absent. He took a shower and slumped downstairs. As he approached the kitchen Teddy caught sight of him sending the small boy's hair into a frenzy of colours. Harry swooped him up and made dragon noises which made Teddy laugh and wriggle uncontrollably. Harry set him down and greeted Andromeda and Draco who were tucking into a fry up from Kreacher.

"there's loads left if you want, Kreacher seems to be making up for the day off you made him take yesterday" Harry had made it his only order yesterday that Kreacher take the day off he was entitled to. The house elf had grumbled and moaned about it the whole time and spent most of it in his cupboard he was so fond of.

Harry sat down next to Draco at the table, opposite Teddy and Andromeda.

"What are you two going to do today then?" the witch asked with curiosity.

"Well, im needed at the centre today so I won't be around to do anything exciting" Draco politely answered which made Teddy groan. "Sorry Ted, I'll be here tomorrow"

"And I need to do some shopping" Harry said cheerfully, this caused Draco to laugh and choke on his egg. "What!" Harry looked offended.

"You, shopping, after the fiasco about the furniture!" Draco chuckled.

"Piss off!" harry laughed too and punched him in the arm, gently.

"Well if you don't mind Harry me and Teddy will come with you" Andromeda asked.

"Yeah that's fine, it'll be muggle London though?"

"Even better, you can show me around, im not familiar with that part"

"Sure well we should probably get going then" harry smiled across at Draco.

"Come on Teddy, let's go get your coat and err a hat perhaps" She urged as she sensed the two wanted to talk.

Harry turned to Draco, wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him. "I'll be so glad when I can do that as soon as we get up" Draco nodded and returned the kiss, deeper than the first.

"Are you ok now?" the blonde questioned.

"Yeah I'm fine" Harry dropped his gaze.

"Harry" Draco pleaded "I'm worried about you.

"My life is hell, you just bring it up to pretty good, I don't want to lose you again, and it frightens me"

"You won't, I will not let that happen" Draco kissed him, running his fingers through Harry's hair. They broke off to a sound of a cough at the door; Andromeda was trying to keep an eager Teddy from rampaging into the room. Harry blushed and walked toward the door "bye, we will be back about 4, I'll see you then" Harry smiled and winked at Draco which made the ferret smile.

They had stopped off at a park to Teddy's delight. Harry and Andromeda sat on a bench to one side of the playground and watched Teddy run round merrily with two other children.

Andromeda looked over at Harry "so, I assume you and Draco are okay now?"

"Yes, it's been tough, you know, but we can get through it" Harry smiled as if he was trying to convince himself that they would make it through.

"You two are good for each other, you both seem like you've found what you were searching for, your more relaxed, and seem happier somewhat"

"We are, I just wish somehow there was another way to keep everything you know?" Harry had filled Andromeda in on the state of his memory fabric on the journey down.

"Yes, so do I, but you can't change the past, just focus on the present"

"That's what Sirius used to tell me." Harry smiled "Andromeda, I was wondering, Draco's birthday is coming up so would you mind helping me find him something?"

"well, that is the reason I came today, we shall make a day of it and as the day seems to be running away with us I will go and fetch Teddy" They prised Teddy from the slide and walked down through the busy streets of London, to Covent Garden. Occasionally stopping every now and then to look in a shop window, Harry finally steered them into a stationary shop.

"Harry?" Andromeda called from across the aisle.

"Yeah?"

"How about getting Draco a canvas or two and a set of paints?"

"That's a great idea! He's been moaning about not having anywhere big enough to paint. Maybe that was a hint?" Harry asked himself.

"Well you could get those then and me and Teddy will find something we can put with it"

After a considerable amount of going back and forth with paints, canvases, notebooks and such alike they finally came out with two A1 canvases, a set of paints, an A3 sketch book and a set of drawing pencils. All of which were shrunk into Andromeda's handbag and they made their way back after having lunch in the square. They had lunch at a small cafe and then made their way home.

When they got back to Grimmauld Place, harry took the presents and hid them in Andromeda's room where he knew Draco wouldn't go.

"Harry we are heading off to the burrow now, we're having dinner with the Weasley's, you're welcome to come if you want"

"Sorry, I can tonight; me and Draco have plans, but have fun anyway. See you later Teddy!" Harry smiled and waved them off through the Floo. Then he heard the key turn in the door. He walked down the corridor and kissed Draco who looked over Harry's shoulder to expect to see Teddy.

"We're alone, Teddy and Andromeda went to the burrow, we were invited but I said we had plans"

"We do, do we?" Draco smiled and pulled Harry close to him.

"Yes, they're on the top floor"

They lay next to each other, Draco propped himself up on his elbow and looked at Harry's chest.

"Where did you get all those scars Harry?" the blonde looked up to meet Harry's eyes.

"I told you, everyone has their scars, I just have more than most"

"I know but I want to know what each one is, like this one" Draco traced a long scar that covered the length diagonally across Harry's chest.

"It's the Avada Kedavra curse scar, from in the forest during the battle of Hogwarts, it grows with he person" Draco nodded.

"And this one?" Draco pointed to a jagged line near Harry's neck

"That and three others" He pointed to three around his waist. "Are from Maida, the Hungarian Horntail in Romania with Charlie"

"You really made her mad didn't you?"Harry nodded and laughed. Draco ran his fingers down the scar from the dragon during the tournament. "You really scared me that day" he swallowed.

"I know, I'm sorry"

"Are any of these scars from, err, me?" Draco scanned Harry's body.

"Draco that's all over no-"

"No, please I want to know" He pleaded.

"Just this one here and those two on my shoulder from various other times" Draco nodded. "I've given you my equal share though" Harry placed his finger on the sectumsempra scar. "I was foolish, I didn't know what that could do."

"Its fine, I deserved it"

"No! No you didn't, I don't want to argue over it, what's this one?"

"The cruciatus curse, as are these two" Draco shuddered.

"What happened?" Harry whispered.

"The biggest one is from Voldemort when he was trying to get me to tell him where you were, the smallest one is from Snape when-"

"Wait, Voldemort knew!"

"Yeah he got inside my head, the summer before sixth year"

"That's awful, carry on"

"Yeah, when he was performing the crucio and crucifigo on me so I could tell which hurt more because I had to use one on the students when I was in 7th year. Come on let's talk about something else"

Harry shuffled up to Draco and rested his head on the slytherin's shoulder.

"Can we go to Hogwarts Saturday?" Harry asked.

"Sure, why not make it Thursday?"

"'Cause that's your birthday and so no."

"And why does that make a difference?" Draco lay on his side looking in Harry's emerald green eyes, Harry looking back into Draco's grey.

"It just does so shut up" Harry laughed and kissed Draco before he could argue pulling himself on top of the other boy.

The sun ripped through the window of the bedroom filling it with orange morning light. Harry opened his eyes almost I sync with Draco.

"Hello" he said quietly

"Hello, guess what I can do this morning?" smiled Draco

"What?"

"This" Draco lips pressed against Harry's for a moment then their eyes met and they both smiled.

"Good morning" Harry laughed, a smile escaping onto his face, he bit his lip lightly, this made Draco laugh. "What time is it?"

"Seven which is too early in my books" Draco groaned.

"I'm hungry"

"Harry you're always hungry" sighed the wizard.

"Am not"

"Are too"

"I'm not"

"Care to challenge me?" Draco straddled Harry on all fours and beamed "you know I have the upper hand!"

"Hah! In your dreams!"

"I don't have to dream" Draco held Harry's wrists down firm, the raven haired wizard struggled before going limp and looking up at his challenger who was still beaming. Draco cocked his head "care to modernize that statement?"

"no" Harry sat up slightly so his face was centimetres away from Draco's then lay down slowly, Draco's face following Harry's and finally connecting as they lay entwined on the bed. "Now who has the upper hand, im just too irresistible" Harry dramatically stated

"I can so resist you!" Draco sat up.

"Really" Harry crawled toward Draco and pushed him down onto his back, running his hand down Draco's side and biting his lip slowly getting close to the blonde until he was inches away breathing on Draco's face. "Even now?" Harry whispered as he kissed Draco's jaw.

"Ah! who cares? You're too hot to resist!" Draco smiled and winked at Harry pulling him so the gap between their bodies closed rapidly.

It was eleven o' clock before they emerged downstairs for breakfast. They walked into the kitchen to see Narcissa stood with a cup of tea next to Andromeda. She smiled when she saw Draco and hugged him tightly, then hugged Harry.

"I didn't know you were coming!" Draco exclaimed

"Well I couldn't miss your birthday could I?" She copied Draco's excited tone.

"you two are up late, what could you possibly have been doing last night-" Andromeda paused and laughed "wait let me rephrase that question" Harry and Draco looked at each other both blushing scarlet "wait, no forget that question. Breakfast?" all four laughed and the two boys nodded eagerly.

The large majority of the morning was spent in the lounge; Teddy playing with his dragons, Draco catching up with his mother and Harry sat half listening leaning against Draco reading a book Hermione had lent him on the origin of magical healing, he wanted to feel more knowledgeable about Draco's job. Andromeda went from playing with Teddy to putting a couple of remarks in the conversation and checking on Harry. For lunch they had bacon and egg pie much to Teddy's liking. Draco had to do a shift at the centre with his mother in the new unit that afternoon so Harry occupied himself organising everything he had prepared for Draco's birthday.

"Have you got everything you need for tomorrow Harry?" Andromeda asked kindly as she passed Harry on the way to the pantry.

"Yeah, I think I've got everything under control" Harry smiled and slipped into a one of the rooms.

"Harry?" Draco called as he searched the house for the raven-haired wizard.

Harry's head shot up and he quickly apparated to the living room so Draco wouldn't find him where he was.

"I'm in the living room!" he called back and tried to appear busy by rearranging a couple of books.

"What are you doing?" Draco half laughed half chided him.

"I'm, err, tidying the books" Draco nodded, unconvinced. "Anyway, did you have a good afternoon at the centre?"

"Yeah, it was alright, the new unit is for people suffering from mind alterations from the war, inspired by you of course"

Harry smirked "I do try!" He bowed sarcastically and avoided a whack from Draco, who had an equal smile on his face.

"What have you been up to this afternoon?" The blonde asked as he slunk towards Harry.

"Err, not, much, err, tiding the books, in, the, err, library?" Harry was a truly awful liar and Draco saw right through him.

"Ah, right, a good bit of book tidying, bet that was fun"

"Mmm" Harry mumbled scratching the side of his head. "Yeah, urm, stimulating work that."

Draco nodded then laughed quietly "you are the worst liar in the entire world" Draco whispered as he kissed Harry.

"Hmm, probably, yeah" Harry mumbled back as his fingers slid through Draco's hair"

The rest of their evening was quite uneventful, Kreacher cooked dinner and once Teddy had gone to bed, Andromeda, Draco and Harry sat in the lounge talking about how fast Teddy was growing up and where all the years were going. Not long after Andromeda went to bed and Harry and Draco were left curled up on the armchair talking quietly.

oOOoOOoO

When Draco awoke on Thursday morning he found that Harry was nowhere to be seen. He sat and realise it was his birthday. At the end of the bed was a package, he smirked and read the tag attached to it. "Number one" was scrawled in Harry's hand. He carefully unwrapped it finding a checked, red and white shirt inside. Strolling into the bathroom he came across another; "number two": a pair of jeans. Draco put on the new assortment and went downstairs. When he walked in he saw Harry preparing a full English breakfast.

"Hey, you're up, do they fit?" Harry asked.

"I love you, they're perfect" Draco kissed him gently and Harry slid his hands into Draco's back pockets. "Bought for completely selfish reasons obviously" Harry laughed "defiantly! Come on, I've made breakfast" Draco sat down just as Teddy came bursting in.

"Happy Birthday!" Teddy flung his arms round Draco's neck in a big hug.

"Why, thank you Teddy"

"This is from me! Open it now!" The small boy launched a present at Draco who took it gratefully and ripped the paper off revealing an A3 sketch pad and a set of artist pencils.

"Now you can draw more dragons!" Teddy spluttered.

"Thank you very much Teddy!" Draco hugged the miniature blonde tightly.

"He's been waiting all week to tell you that nearly had to use a silencing charm on him!" Andromeda laughed from the door closely followed by Narcissa who embraced Draco and handed him a small rectangular box.

"Thanks mother" He smiled and set it down next to him. Harry brought over five plates and they all tucked in.

When the plates were empty Narcissa helped Harry clear them away. "Right, we will have to get a move on if we want to be at the Burrow for eleven. Andromeda steered Teddy out of the kitchen and back upstairs like she did most mornings and Harry pulled Draco into the living room. On the sofa sat another present which read "number three" Draco looked up at Harry who nodded toward it. The blonde pulled out a black leather jacket. "Wow, you can see me in leather?" Draco asked sheepishly.

"I think it will bring out the more reckless side of you, less of the pride, go-on try it on!" Draco slipped the jacket on and turned to show Harry who smiled wickedly.

"Wow"

"That good ey?"

"Sorry, just looking at your bum in those jeans. Yeah that jackets looks really good, it suits you. Come on we better go."

They spent the rest of the morning at the Burrow, finishing with lunch. Everyone had bought Draco wonderful things for his birthday, Hermione, for example, got him a book on healing which he poured into immediately. Luna gave him a charm to keep away the garden sprunkles. Molly, of course, had knitted him a wonderful traditional Weasley jumper with a D on the front. He thanked them gratefully and the rest of the afternoon was occupied with wizard chess and Quiditch.

At five that evening Harry and Draco went back to Grimmauld place alone as Teddy and Andromeda were going to stay with Narcissa for the night as they had sensed getting out the house would be a good idea that night.

"Harry, where are we going?" Draco asked as they walked down a long corridor past the guest bedrooms to a solitary door Draco had not noticed before. The note on the door read "number four, go on in". The blonde turned and looked suspiciously at Harry who just smiled and nodded. Draco walked in and gasped. The large room had four white walls and the two canvases Harry had bought were on stands towards the back near the window that looked down onto the street below. There was a shelf of paints and materials against the wall either side of the window, a table with two chairs perched under the window. A green sofa to one side, that was mysteriously like the one from the locker rooms. The other wall was completely blank.

"I thought you could paint something on that side" harry pointed to the blank wall.

"Blimey Harry, where-how?" Draco stood wide eyed with his mouth open.

"Wow, Draco Malfoy, speechless. That IS an achievement!"

Draco turned and hugged Harry "thank you so much, I love you!"

"I'm glad you like it"

"I love it" Draco looked back around his new studio.

"I'm going to ask Kreacher to send dinner up to our room, meet me up there. Don't apparate!" Harry moved swiftly down the corridor.

"Why?" Draco called, still in shock and pretty much unable to move.

He eventually moved and walked back down the hallway and up the wooden stairs and reached the door. A box hung on a string suspended by a balloon. The message attached said "number five". Very cautiously Draco took the string of the little box and slowly lifted the lid, peering inside. Another message in the lid had the words "marry me?"

OoOOOooOo

A sliver ring with emeralds all the way around sat on a velvet cushion, Draco stared in ore.

"Well?" Harry emerged from within the room.

"Yes! Yes I will!" Draco flung his arms around Harry and kissed him, the both of them crying at laughing together. "We have to get you a red match" Harry had his arms around Draco's neck.

"Okay" he whispered.

"I love you so much" the Slytherin breathed.

"I love you too" Harry sighed and nestled his head into Draco's neck before taking his hand and leading him into the room.

A table for two had been set up by the window, a candle alight on the table and two glorious meals steaming upon a white table cloth. They sat and ate, talking excitedly about the Studio. When they finished Kreacher cleared away the table and they went up to the roof. They lay side by side looking up at the stars.

"I have a ring to match yours reserved at the shop, they're memory rings"

"Memory rings?" Draco had not come across the concept before.

"They remember and replay the exact time and place it was given to the other. Nothing can erase or alter the memory from the ring and they will each share the memory and they will be bonded, forever."

Draco smiled as a tear rolled off his face.

"Why are you crying?" asked the raven haired wizard.

"I suppose, I just never thought after what happened that I would ever be here, with you talking about eternity rings."

"Me neither" Harry lay flat on his back and turned his head to look at Draco who did the same. "But I'm glad we are and I wouldn't trade it for anything, I don't if you've realised"

"What?"

"You're stuck with me for the rest of your life now"

"That's nowhere near long enough..."


	6. Yes

Chapter 6

The following day the two wizards arranged a big 'family' meeting at the Burrow to announce their news. Everyone was sat in the lounge, all squeezed in like sardines in a tin.

Once everyone was settled down Harry stood up, a little awkwardly, and cleared his throat quietly. "We have something to tell everyone" Harry looked round at everyone in the room. "Draco and I have decided to, we have decided to get married".

Well, the reaction was mixed, the majority and immediate reaction was: "congratulations! Oh that's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" this was mainly on the female part however. The rest were still supportive but obviously uncomfortable with the situation. After a slight awkward silence, George, Ron and Mr Weasley went out to finishing de-gnoming the garden. Soon after Molly and Narcissa went to prepare lunch and were met at the door by Andromeda who had been told in advance of the announcement as Teddy was too young to understand.

So left in the lounge with the boys were Hermione, Luna and Fleur.

"So..." Hermione hinted.

"Huh?" Harry said blankly.

"How did it happen?"

Harry scratched his head and cocked his head awkwardly, "I'm gunna go to the loo, Draco can tell you" Harry left quickly and the four laughed under their breath.

"So, how did it happen?" Luna asked.

Draco smiled secretively. "It was amazing, he's so, sensitive" he said after pausing slightly. There was a muffled giggle and he continued. "The whole of yesterday he left presents with numbers on them, one was a whole room full of canvases and new paints."

"Wow! That's amazing! You'll have to let me help!" gasped Luna.

"Yeah, I will, and so I went upstairs and the box was hanging from a balloon and the note inside said 'marry me'" the three women sighed in a romantic fashion. Draco smiled "it's funny, he gets so embarrassed, and he is the best though"

"Have you got any plans for it yet?" asked Fleur.

"No, we haven't talked about it yet; we are going to Hogwarts on Saturday so it will probably get planned there"

"How come you're goin' to Hogwarts?" questioned Hermione.

"Harry wants to see, everything, also I think he's finding it hard at the minute"

"What do you mean?"

"Well its next Sunday is Sirius' death anniversary"

"Oh" was the only reaction.

"I don't want him to get in a bad place so im gunna try and keep him occupied"

The witches laughed. "No!" Draco shouted in disgust, laughing "not like that!" he put his head in his hands and sighed light-heartedly.

Harry came back in and was informed on why they were in hysterics. Hermione went out to talk to Ron. She found him in the garden with his brother and father.

"Ron can I talk to you a sec'" she asked angelically.

"Yeah sure" Ron chucked the writhing gnome in his hand over the fence and followed Hermione.

"What is your problem!" she whispered furiously at him.

"What?"

"You! You didn't even congratulate Harry you just got up and left, not a hug, not even a handshake! What is wrong with you he's your best friend?" Hermione spat back at him.

"Im sorry! I just, it's that, well I"

"Oh spit it out Ronald, or do I have to tell you what's wrong with you"

"Its not that I'm against homosexuals, i-i'm not" he said quickly "I just really am not comfortable being ar-"

"Bullshit! The rest of us support them and are happy for them because they are our family! If it were you Harry would be there for you all the way!"

"I-" he started but she cut him off.

"no, I saw it, he watched you walk out without even a glance back at him, he thinks you are ashamed of him, he thinks you're not as close as you used to be and even though he doesn't show it its hurting him. Next week is the anniversary of Sirius' death, he's devastated about that, as he is every year, plus now he's worrying that he has lost his best friend too! Do you think after everything he's lost, which, may I tell you, he still blames on himself, that it is helpful to him for you to be off with him as well? I'll leave with that to think about and when you are ready to be an adult you can come inside, if that means missing lunch then so be it." She spurred around and went inside leaving Ron stood tensely by the door.

Hermione joined the rest of the party at the table.

"Where's Ron?" Molly asked.

"He's thinking" Hermione simply said. Molly glanced to the door to see Ron peeking in and hid a smile. Arthur passed round glasses with champagne.

"To Harry and Draco" He raised his glass and smiled everyone else following him.

Afterwards they retired to the lounge and Ron came skulking in. "Harry can I talk to you?" Hermione smiled secretly and Harry nodded, following Ron upstairs.

"What did you want to talk about?" Harry asked looking suspiciously at Ron.

"Urm, well, I just don't want you to think that I err, well, um. Let's just say I've been a real prick and I am really happy for you, I just take a bit longer to adjust than everyone else"

"Thank you, I really appreciate it. What do you mean adjust?"

"To having Mal-I mean Draco in the 'family' you know"

"No not really, pleas elaborate your point" Harry folded his arms and fixed his green eyes on Ron who shuffled uncomfortably.

"You know after everything he's done in the past I just sometimes don't know how to deal with him"

"Deal with him?" Harry shouted "what the fuck Ron! He doesn't need to be dealt with he is part of the family whether you like or not, and if not you can bloody well piss off! I no longer want anything to do with you!"

"What's going on?" Hermione panted as she came up the stairs closely followed by Draco.

"Nothing" Harry's eyes were still fixed on Ron boring into his head. "I was just leaving"

"Harry don't go, just come and sit down" Hermione said pleadingly scowling at Ron.

"No, I don't particularly want to be in a room let alone a house with him" his head nodded in Ron's direction and Harry apparated.

"I'm sorry, I'll go talk to him, apologise to Molly for us will you Herm?"

Draco asked.

"Sure, good luck" as soon as Draco had disappeared with a crack she turned on her boyfriend. "What the HELL did you say to him that would make him that angry?"

"I don't know, I jus' said that sometimes I do'no how to deal with Malfoy"

"Oh Merlin Ron, what the heck did you phrase it like that for! 'Deal with him'. One, he has a name. Two, he doesn't need dealing with; he's a human and a bloody better one than you! I thought you were going to make it up to him but you just go and be a bigger jerk! Now you go and tell you mum why they've gone! Hermione turned in a flash and stormed down the stairs closely and sheepishly followed by Ron.

"Harry!" Draco called after him as he raged up the stairs "Harry wait!" Draco followed and stood outside the slammed door of their room. He rested his forehead on the door, Harry doing the same on the other side, he dropped his voice. "Harry let me in. Please" the door slowly unlatched and creaked open. Draco went in and hugged the distressed wizard who surrendered to the embrace. "What happened?"

Harry's voice faltered as he tried to speak. "He just, I mean I get it enough in the press and I don't need it from my best friend too"

"Need what?"

"Everyone saying how evil and bad for me you are, he said you needed 'dealing with' and I just can't take it anymore I just want everyone to piss off and leave us alone"

"I know, but I'm sure Ron didn't mean it"

"Yeah probably. He didn't mean it, he doesn't mind really, it'll blow over, wait till next year! I'm just sick of all the excuses we have to take to try to explain why we get this, I, I don't know. Im sorry Draco, I didn't mean to shout." Harry closed his eyes frustrated.

"I know don't worry just get some sleep and we will, well, see what happens."

They heard nothing from Ron the next morning so set off to go up to Hogwarts. They apparated into Hogsmede and were going to walk up to the castle through the grounds. They had made it as far as the hogshead when someone shouted "look! It's Harry Potter!" before anything else could be said or done they were surrounded by wizarding folk, press and all, trying to get photos and get a hold or a glimpse of the two. Draco was managing to fend them off until someone realised who he was and a line of people formed between the boys.

"DRACO!" Harry was trying to see over the heads and pointed hats of the mob, hands were steering him away, question pounding at his head and yet every second he was getting further and further from the blonde.

"Harry?" he turned to see Aberforth Dumbledore pushing through the crowd, he grabbed his arm and they disapperated back to the small side street house where Albus' brother lived.

"No! We have to go back! What about Draco?" Harry turned for the door but Aberforth stood in front of it.

"You can't go out there Harry" the old wizard spoke firmly but with patience which angered Harry.

"But I can't leave him! They'll kill him!" he spluttered.

"Alright! Alright. Wait here, I will go. Promise me you will stay here?" Harry nodded fiercely. Aberforth turned and whipped out the door. Sitting on the slightly moth eaten couch Harry put his head in his hands and didn't move, he just prepared himself for the worst.

It had been nearly two hours before the Dumbledore returned with a limp Draco Malfoy draped over his shoulder. Harry shot to his side and helped lift him onto the chair, Harry knelt beside him, his face bloody and shirt ripped. His arm was lying at an unusual angle and he was unconscious, little to no movement was coming from his chest.

"Can you get us to Pomfrey?" Harry pleaded.

"Yes we can use the passage into he room of requirement"

"Well let's go then, he hasn't got long!" They whisked him up between them, using a lightening charm and began to run down the passage. Harry sent a patronus ahead to McGonigall to explain to her as they hobbled into the hospital wing.

"Mr Potter!" Poppy exclaimed, she then gasped at the sight of Draco. "Oh my goodness, whoever"

"Draco, can you help him? Please."

"Yes, this way." She led them into a private adjoining room to avoid any arising suspicion. They set him down on the white sheets and Poppy gestured to them to wait outside, Harry, being Harry, protested, but she managed to usher them out. "Work now, questions later."

The two wizards so different in appearance but equal in worry, sat outside the room in silence.

The news that they had been spotted in Hogsmede must have reached the castle as passing students stared or giggled, cursed and threw spell at Harry who returned them with just as much spite.

McGonigall soon appeared from around the corner. "Gracious me Potter, whatever happened?"

"Headmistress! Draco and I were coming up to the castle when we were attacked in Hogsmede; Aberforth found me but had to go back for Draco, who at the minute is not looking good."

"Is he with Poppy now?" she asked, her face twisting in worry and anger.

"Yes" Harry gestured to the door to the left of him.

"I see, well the students are claiming there is a murderous deatheater and a madman roaming the halls, wait a minute while I go and clear that up."

"Thanks Professor" They watched as she turned back and walked out the hospital waving off a group of young witches, shutting the door behind her.

Eventually they heard a click from the door to their left and poppy came out drying her hands on a towel. "You can go in now" She didn't even have to finish her sentence and Harry was gone. He closed the door quietly behind him and tiptoed over to the bed. Draco was asleep, one side of his face was particularly swollen from his eye to his jaw, all the cuts were just the remainder of scabs and his arm was in a sling. Harry sat down in the chair next to him and held his hand. Draco stirred and slowly opened his eyes, the left side more so than his right.

"Hey, I'm sorry I-" Harry stammered

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault, and we should have asked McGonagall to use her Floo. How the hell did you get me here, wherever I am" Draco croaked and craned his neck to look at his surroundings but winced.

"You're in the hospital wing at Hogwarts, me and Aberforth Dumbledore got you here through the passage to the room of requirement."

Draco looked at him in shock and tried to raise his eyebrows in an impressed expression but moaned at the pain in his face.

Harry smiled sympathetically "don't move. No offence but you look at mess"

"Not as bad as when I walked the gauntlet" Draco half laughed.

"The what?"

The smile faded from Draco's face "you know when Slytherin house punished me for apologising to Hagrid" he said quickly.

"You apologised to Hagrid?" what for, when?" Harry looked blankly back at him.

"oh god Harry, not more, no more, please no more memories lost, not now" Draco closed his eyes, tightening his grip on Harry's hand who just stared ahead in shock, desperately trying to remember anything of this event. He lay down next to Draco; it was ages before either of them could sleep.

Later on that evening Poppy came in, Harry, who had been awake for ages, sat up a slid carefully off the bed and walked over to her. "Thank you" He said quietly.

"That's quite alright, don't worry, Aberforth has filled me in on everything, I'm not asking you to recount any of it again, I just wanted to bring you something to eat."

Harry smiled and took the tray gratefully. "Thank you. Will he be alright?"

"Yes, I am sure Mr Malfoy will recover splendidly from this, he is strong" She smiled, bade him goodnight and left swiftly. Harry picked up a book on healing and sat in the chair next to the table to one side of the room and ate the warm soup, bread and drank the hot chocolate that were steaming on the tray next to him. After he had eaten he finished reading the book he was reading then pulled the chair up next to Draco and watched him. His face occasionally twitching from his wounds. 'When's this going to end' Harry thought 'when can we live our own life?'

OOoOOoOo

The next day Poppy cleaned up the rest of Draco's face, vanishing the bruising leaving only his arm in a sling, which Pomfrey had told him was snapped in three places and he had a full glass of Skele-grow. After Draco's medi-check he changed his clothes and he and Harry decided to go for a walk. They walked around the outside of the castle to the West tower and came to the entrance to the locker rooms.

Harry tapped the wall and whispered "apriens" the door swung open slowly; you could tell that the room hadn't been used since they occupied it. Harry gasped "it's just how I remembered it, apart from your drawings are on the wall"

"Harry, you put them on the wall in our 5th year" Draco turned so he was facing Harry.

"What? Did I? What, why, how? Why are my memories going Draco? Why can't it happen to some other person?"

"I don't know but we will find out, I promise, come on I want to show you something" Draco led him into the middle of the locker room "this is where the last imperious session ended, your last command was 'kiss me'" Harry looked up, puzzled and tried to speak.

"Shh, just listen. You said finite, so I did this" Draco pushed Harry back until he hit the lockers "then I said, do you want me to show Cedric or tell him. And you said show him, so I did this." Draco held Harry's arms firm and kissed him, pushing his body against Harry's who tried to free his arms but the blonde held them tight. Draco pulled away and smiled and then kissed him again.

"Draco?" Harry pulled away, stood straight and put his arms around Draco's waist.

"Yeah?"

"What happens if I do loose all the obliviated memories? Where will that leave us?"

"Same as we are now, nothing will change; we will still be together because I will be there, all the way." Harry was looking down, Draco lifted his chin up. "I promise, come on" he nipped Harry's lip. "Let's go outside"

They walked along the path around the lake and up to the big chestnut tree on the far side. They sat down, leaning against the enormous trunk.

It was a warm day and the sun shone through the gaps in the trees leaving patches of light on the ground.

"So what are your marvellous plans for the ceremony?" Draco asked curiously.

"Well, I wanted to plan it with you"

"Lets get started then, first issue, where could we possibly do it?"

"I was thinking we would probably be better doing a muggle ceremony with a wizarding party" Harry suggested.

"Well it's not ideal but I suppose that's the only option really, it could be you in a hospital wing next time"

"There won't be a next time, don't worry it will be incredible wherever it is"

"It will. Now I want Teddy as page boy" Draco slipped in.

"So do I, so no disagreements there. I really want Hermione as maid of honour"

"And I want Luna" Draco smiled challengingly

"Both?" Harry suggested and Draco shrugged and nodded.

"Ron as best man" Harry blurted out.

"Whoa, it's okay! Ron can be best man; I have no other I would want, apart from Cedric"

The raven haired wizard hugged his blonde companion "he's up there somewhere, pointing and laughing at us, he will be there, I know he will" Draco half smiled at Harry.

"What are we going to wear?" Draco asked.

"I think we should leave that to Hermione and Molly".

"Good plan, enough planning for now I think, I'm bored" Draco pushed Harry flat on the floor and hovered over him. Harry pulled him closer, the blonde unbuttoned Harry's shirt and traced the Horntail scar. The chestnut tree was at the top of the bank and so when Draco pushed closer to Harry they both tumbled down the bank to the edge of the lake. Harry rolled over and pulled them both into the water. Standing up in the shallow water they burst out laughing and splashed each other.

Draco dived under the water swimming to where Harry was and coming up right in front of him causing their bodies to brush against one another. He cupped Harry's face in his hands and kissed him. "I love you and now, no-one is ever going to take that away"

Harry smiled "I love you too, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, I f you'll have me?"

"Of course I will im not stupid!" exclaimed Draco. Harry raised an eyebrow as if to challenge that statement. "Oy!" Draco splashed Harry. "Come on". They clambered out the lake and walked hand in hand back along the path to the castle. Although they received many suspicious looks and they traced throughout the corridors leaving puddles of water behind them, they didn't care, because they were happy, and at that point, the only two people in the world.

As they came through the door of the hospital wing they caught the attention of Pomfrey. "Mr Malfoy! Do you want to kill yourself?" she asked as she dragged him across to his designated bed.

"I'm fine Poppy, honestly" he tried half laughing.

"No you are not well enough to be gallivanting around" Just as Draco opened his mouth to protest she shoved a spoon of some concoction into his mouth, he crossed his eyes to watch it. Harry laughed and Draco scowled at him.

"As for you Harry Potter, you should be more responsible; I thought you wanted him alive!" She smiled softly and took the spoon from Draco, handing him a glass containing a purple potion. "Sit" she gestured t the bed "I will be back shortly". As soon as she was out of sight Harry laughed and sat down next to Draco kissing him gently.

"You should probably drink that" he pointed to the glass.

"Yeah" Draco tipped his head back and downed it.

"What's it like?" Harry's face was screwed up with disgust.

"This" Draco pressed his lips which still had drops of the potion against Harry's.

"Delightful" was the answer as a sleeve went up to wipe the potion from his lips.

When Poppy returned she told them to go to McGonagall's office; before going she cast a couple of cleaning spells on the two of them.

The two wizards walked down the halls and up the stairs to the headmistress' office; Harry knocked softly on the door.

"Enter" came the stern voice from inside. They pushed open the old wooden door and went inside. Dumbledore's portrait greeted them kindly. Draco winced at the memory of the night on the astronomy tower; Harry took his hand and squeezed it comfortingly but said nothing.

"Ah, good afternoon. I am deeply sorry for what occurred the other day in Hogsmede. I never thought there would be a reaction like there was"

"It's fine, honestly, I don't think any of us realised how hard this hit people" Harry gestured to Draco and himself whose anger was bubbling up rapidly.

"It shouldn't affect them!" Draco shouted "they shouldn't even know about it! The prophet shouldn't be printing about our personal lives"

"I couldn't agree more Mr Malfoy, but the thing is, is that they do. However they won't be for much longer, we will see to that" she clasped her hands together.

"How are we going to do that?" Harry asked.

"Leave that to me Mr Potter. I suggest you get Mr Malfoy home" McGonagall glance at Draco who looked as if he was going to explode. Harry nodded, took Draco's hand and they disappeared in the Floo with a puff of green smoke.


End file.
